From Heaven To Earth
by Furor Scribiendi
Summary: AU - Storm and Van have a little midnight meeting that brings them closer together. (not like THAT!) And Tara deals with Aresia in her own way. And the assassination attempt.....
1. One

A/N: I had always wondered what would have happened if Van had been a bit older when the series occurred so guess what? Van is the ripe old age of 18 now and everyone else is pretty much the same age as in the series. 

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_Chapter One_

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Morning light streamed into the room from the slits as the robed figure stood with the sword before them, eyes closed. _'Clear your mind and then move according to what you feel.'_ A few moments later, the figure moved around the room like a winged demon, shadow fighting in the early morning. The door opened silently, going unnoticed by the whirling figure. 

"Storm, shouldn't you eat breakfast first? It's ten in the morning." 

The girl stopped as her wooden practice sword came in contact with the ground. She looked at the door as she straightened up. "I will Mama; I actually was finishing up now. I only started at seven." 

"Storm, you practice too much you know. Why don't you worry about getting a dress for the graduation? And would you please fold your wings away child; the last thing you need to do is fall down on your back and crush them; I can't take you to the hospital for that kind of injury." 

"Sorry Mama," Storm groaned; she made the downy wings vanish before going into the kitchen for cereal and milk. "I don't want to go. But between you and Tara, I don't have much choice now do I?" 

"I should say not. And we are going to find a nice young man for you. You spend far too much time reading or practicing with that sword. I keep telling you that-" 

Storm walked to the phone happily as its ring cut off her mother; if it didn't ring, she would never hear the end of it as usual. "Hi Tara." 

"Hey Storm. I called earlier but I guess you were in your dojo?" 

"Yup. Let me guess, you want to go shopping today right?" 

"Well I have to find a dress for the formal. It's in two weeks Storm; guess who's going to try on dresses today?" 

"Me." she said in a resigned voice. "All right I'll let you torture me, but I have to get my sword sharpened so we'll do that last all right?" 

"No problem. I'll meet you at the mall then all right. Ok Tara. Later." Storm hung up the phone to find her mother looking at her with a smile. "Oh don't you start now too." she grumbled as she went up the stairs to shower and change. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Jesus man," Storm collapsed gratefully on a bench. "If I had known she was gonna do this much shopping, then I would have gone by myself." 

Tara looked down at her friend. "Oh, stop acting like an old lady would ya? I know you aren't very tired." 

"With all the places you're dragging me to, I will be an old lady by the time I get back home!!" 

"You're just saying that. Now come on, I want you to see something that I saw." 

Storm grumbled as Tara pulled her up and dragged her to a shop window. "What could this amazing thing possibly be eh?" 

"Those." Tara pointed, her finger resting on the glass. "Aren't they cool?" 

Storm peered around. "What are you talking about? I don't see it; everything in the window is cool." 

"The pink necklaces you idiot; man are you blind." Tara rolled her eyes. "Right beside that amber brooch." 

"Oh yeah, I see them now. Yeah...they are pretty cool. I haven't seen a necklace like that before." Storm paused. "I guess that you want to go in and look at them?" 

Tara grinned. "How did you guess? Come on!" 

With a feign sigh of acceptance, Storm followed Tara in, leaning against the display counter lightly as Tara talked to the saleslady. The shop at least was cooler than the humid summer evening outside. And now she could worry about was finding some way to avoid attending the- 

"Storm!! Yeesh, come here would ya?" 

Snapping out of her thoughts, she saw Tara at the cash register. "What? Are you ready to go yet?" 

"Yup." Tara slid a gold chain around her neck. "Here ya go." 

"How did I know. How much did you spend now?" 

"Seventy five." 

"Seventy five?!" Storm looked at the necklace before she gave Tara a look of disbelief. "I am paying you back for this you know." 

"No you aren't. Come on, let's go and get your sword sharpened." Tara said with a smile as they walked out. "It can't be any harder than me buying these." 

"How was buying these hard?" 

Tara shrugged. "The saleslady talked something about the power to grant wishes and wanting stuff bad enough. I just nodded my head and said I would take them." 

"OK, come on then," she said dismissing it. "It's almost seven and that's when the place closes." Storm grabbed Tara's hand and took off down the street with her in tow. 

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Pinpoints of bright starlight twinkled down from the heavens onto the two figures that stretched out side by side in the hilltop. A slight breeze picked up, ruffling loose strands of hair into eyes. 

"Tara?" Storm asked with a yawn as she pulled the annoying wisps away. 

"Yeah?" 

"Why exactly are you dragging me to the formal?" 

A small chuckle escaped from Tara's throat. "Oh I don't know. Misery loves company I suppose. If I have to go and endure the terrible food, then you do too." 

"All right then. Why didn't you say so in the first place? At least you aren't setting me up." she said in a pleased tone. 

"Uh...yeah about that....there's something I've been meaning to tell you." 

"Aw crap, I knew it was too good to be true. Stop trying to set me up already would you? So I am the only one who hasn't had a boyfriend. La-dee-da." 

"Oh would you stop that? I know you're lonely, I can see it every time we go out and when you're alone at home on a Friday night, practicing with that sword of yours." 

Storm didn't reply, knowing full well that it was true, every single word of it. 

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you but-" 

"Oh no you didn't. Simply because I find most guys are intimidated by me because I can use a sword with precision, I'm not the least bit put off." Storm's voice held the slightest tinge of sarcasm. 

Tara sighed. "How about we drop the topic, all right?" 

"Fine by me. My singleness doesn't bother me, it bothers the rest of you." Storm said. 

"Must you always get in the final word? It really annoying sometimes." 

"Oh?" Storm looked over at her with a gleam of amusement. "Remind me to try harder next time." 

Tara whapped her before settling back down and gazing up at the stars. "Do you think what that lady said was true?" 

"I wasn't paying attention, why are you asking me?" 

"I told you what she said more or less. About wishes coming true." 

Storm remained silent for a few minutes. "You still want to find her don't you?" 

"Yes." Tara paused. "And ask why she gave me up. Was I really that terrible a child that she didn't want me anymore?" 

"Here we go again." Storm sat up, with a heavy sigh. "How many times have I told you that you can't blame yourself for her shortcomings? For all you know, giving you up may not have been her choice, or she did it to give you a better life than you would have had or known with her. Do the possibilities bother you that much?" 

Closing her eyes, Tara shook her head. "It doesn't bother me much...I'd just like some answers, that's all. Answers would clarify certain things." 

"Well then, I don't really blame you one bit. Stuff like medical history and whatnot?" 

"Yeah." Tara couldn't tell her yet, even though she was her best friend. 

"Hey, look Tara!" 

She opened her eyes to catch the streaking tail of a shooting star. "How do ya like that..." 

"Did ya make a wish?" 

"Heh...yeah...not that mine is going to come true anytime soon. What did you wish for?" 

"Something stupid, don't bother. I don't know why I did because I know it won't come true anytime soon." 

"It can't be that dumb. Come on; throw aside the convention that the wish won't come true." 

Storm smiled over at her. "For war to end some day." 

"This coming from a warrior? Never thought I'd heard this..." 

"Fighting is all well and good, but you see the lengths we carry it too; ludicrous really, all to satisfy the notion that one is superior to the other. Is that any way to live really, convulsing an entire country or world apart?" 

"No...it isn't. And you said it was a stupid wish." 

"I didn't tell you it all of it though. If I may finish..." she watched as Tara gestured with her hand. "For once, I want to go somewhere with no war or violence at all." 

"Now there's a wish if I ever hear it." Tara stretched out for a moment. "But that would be nice. To not turn on the TV and see that so many people died and this may happen or that could occur." 

Storm sighed as she picked up the necklace and started to spin it. "Or I could just wish upon this thing, now couldn't I?" 

"Eh heh. And shall we be trying to escape into fantasy somewhat? To a place with dragons and knights upon dashing steeds?" 

"Christ, do you know how corny that sounds? I'd settle for me on a horse and the dragons though. Methinks that knights are overrated." 

"Ya huh. Men dashing in to save the girl; fairy tales are clearly written by guys." 

"Yeah, what they'd like to have happen." Storm laughed before she closed her eyes with a wistful sigh. "But I do wish I could go to a place like that." 

"You and me both. Maybe I can find a decent guy there." she watched as Storm yawned again. "What's wrong with you?" 

"You kinda tired me out for the day so I am about ready for a nap." 

"Take a nap then. I'll wake you up when I'm ready to go." 

"Thanks." Storm said before curling up. 

Tara smiled slightly before she gazed back up at the stars. _'It would be nice to go to a place like that. A place that is free from all the vices of this world.'_ A soft snore made her look over to see Storm who had drifted off completely. She shifted her head back up to watch the sky once more. _'To a place with dragons and horses, no pompous idiots who think that girls need protecting.'_ She traced her fingers down to the pink bauble, letting it sit in her hand before she let it rest against her shirt. _'And that I could find the answers I seek. How I wish a place like that existed...'_ She closed her eyes heavily, the lure of the dream pulling her in strongly. She never even noticed the pulsating pink light that flared up sharply making a column of bright light plunge down from the heavens to the earth. 

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	2. Two

A/N: To Blue Dreamer, I'm honestly not sure that Hitomi will be in this story. And if she is, I'm not going to guarantee her a prominent spot in the plot that the other two characters will be receiveing. And to my dear bud of five years, Peridot Pooka, you know I do it simply to piss you off to no end. Am I doing a good job? You're more than welcome to come over and hover over my shoulder like a mother hen *^^* and yell at me when I do my grammar, spell, consistency and flow checks. ^_~ Ja ne minna!! 

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_Chapter Two_

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The quiet of the forest rippled with the gentle song of birds as they flew between the bright rays of sunlight that pierced the leafy canopy of treetops. A slight groan echoed around the area as one of the dusty figures in the middle of the road, sat up, rubbing their head with a yawn. 

"Oh crap man. Storm is going to kill me. We slept all night in the park." Tara looked around before she saw Storm lying a few feet away, snoring her head off with a small trickle of drool running down her cheek. "There's an attractive morning face." Tara muttered. "Storm wake up. Wake up Storm!" 

"Bugger off you little sod..." Storm frowned in her sleep before she relaxed again with a smile and started mumbling about dragons and horses. 

Tara rolled her eyes. _'I don't believe this. She took last night's conversation to heart too much.'_ She shook Storm roughly. "Wake up you lazy-" she stopped in shock as a lazy hand came flying at her face and whacked her squarely on her nose. _'Oh, that's it.'_ Tara sat up on her legs and smacked Storm across the face. "Wake up you lazy bitch!" 

Finally Storm opened one belligerent eye to scowl at Tara. "What the hell is your problem? I was having the best dream ever. Dragons are the best you know and-" 

"We slept in the park all night Storm." Tara gave an exasperated sigh as Storm looked at her stupidly. "Shall I repeat that again for you?" 

"Please do. Because I distinctly remember someone saying that she'd wake me up when she was ready to go!" Storm glared at her. "You let us sleep here all night?! We're lucky nothing happened to us! Christ, is my sword still here?" 

Tara rose as Storm scrabbled around until she found her sword case and clutched it with relief. "Are you done already? Your mother is going to kill the both of us." 

"You fell asleep on me. Wake me up when you want to leave, never again will I ask that." Storm muttered crossly as she strapped the case onto her hips. "For once you let me sleep when I shouldn't have!! And you want me to go to the graduation party afterwards?! I'll be too dead and grounded to attend the damn party!!" 

"Would you quit bitching and start walking? If we get there, maybe we can sneak in before she wakes up and finds out that we were gone all night." 

"We? Suddenly invited yourself to sleep over did you?" 

"Why yes I did." Tara flashed her a smile. "Now can we get going? What? What's the matter?" 

Storm was looking around slowly with a rather shocked face. "We aren't in the park." 

"What?" Tara looked around carefully this time to see that Storm was right. They had fallen asleep on a hilltop; now they found themselves in the middle of a dirt path stretching to either side. _'What the hell is going on?'_

"I don't know...but I think I see someone coming...maybe we can ask them." 

"Good idea." Tara said as she noted the small cloud of dust that rose up into the air. 

They waited patiently at the side of the road, as the horseback figure drew closer. Tara stepped forward with a smile as the cloaked figure stopped and looked down at them. 

"Hello." Tara said, flashing a radiant smile that she knew attracted guys. "Are you heading towards a town?" 

The cowl was pushed back to reveal a thin, grizzled face covered by a massive beard. "Yes, I am. May I ask where you are heading?" 

"We...ah...found ourselves rather lost this morning. Where's the nearest town that we can find a," she paused looking over the man's clothing. "Inn?" 

"Hm...that would be the town of Fanalia, where the castle is. It's just back down the road that way...probably two...three days travel from here." the man peered over her shoulder to see Storm lurking by the trees as he rubbed his nose. "Is that your friend there?" 

Tara looked back to see a dark scowl on her friend's face. "Yes. If you would excuse me for a minute Sir..." 

"I don't like him." Storm said as Tara came up to her. "Something's not right about this. I say we leave now and try to find this 'Fanalia' by ourselves." 

"All right, if that's how you feel. I'll just go and wrap this up." Tara said as she walked away; she also the fact that Storm's hand was resting on her sword hilt hadn't escaped her. "So you say that Fanalia is three days from here? East or west?" 

"West." he said pointing in said direction. "Are you young ladies looking for an escort? These woods can be quite dangerous if you don't have some form of protection." 

"No we aren't. Thank you for your time." Storm said as she took Tara's arm and led her westward. 

"That was pretty rude, you know." Tara said as they started walking. "Why are we going so fast?" 

"You don't realize it, but that guy has men in the forest. One of them just tried to sneak up on me. The sooner we're away from him, the better." 

"Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" 

"And let him know that I know? No, we are going to have to push hard to reach Fanalia safely. It wouldn't surprise me if that creep was a slaver." Storm looked back apprehensively. 

"All right but-" Tara stopped abruptly as a loud crash came from the trees. "That wasn't an animal was it?" she saw the tight grip that Storm had on her sword. "Couldn't we lose them in the forest?" 

"Most likely. It would be the best idea at the-" 

Storm didn't have a chance to finish as men suddenly burst out of the forest coming for them with drawn swords and clubs. She drew her sword easily enough and charged into the fray. Tara gritted her teeth and dove right in also. _'Not even ten minutes and we get into a life and death fight. What kind of place is this?'_ Soon enough, Tara could see that they weren't a match for the group of men; they were simply outnumbered. Meeting Storm's eyes, she saw the same conclusion there. Wrenching herself free from a greasy grip, she socked the guy in the face and darted into the forest, Storm close behind, her sword back in it's sheath. 

"So where the hell are we going now?" she managed as she jumped over tree roots and loose rocks. 

"Just run and don't worry about it!" Storm gasped as she stumbled over a particularly large tree root. 

The forest bled into a streak of green and yellow, interspersed with more and more chunks of grey. Tara veered off a bit, going around a massive boulder and when she came around, Storm was nowhere to be seen. 

"Storm?" she called out loudly, "Storm, where are you?" 

She looked back, hearing more of the loud calls of their pursuers that made her start running again. _'Great, we're obviously separated now and in some sort of quarry of some sort. What could possibly be any worse right-'_

"Tara, stop!!" 

She screeched to a halt just in time to see Storm, with her arms outstretched in an attempt to stop her. She collided with Storm and came to a breathless stop to see her friend start fall back into a deep black hole. 

"Storm!" she reached out with her hand and grabbed her wrist sharply. 

Storm jerked sharply, smacking right into the rock face and hitting her head on a large piece of rock that jutted out. Tara grabbed on with her other wrist as Storm body went completely slack. _'Christ, not now...I can't do that...but it's the only thing I can do.'_

"There she is! Get her!" 

With a supreme effort, she swung Storm and let her start to fall down into the void. Whirling around, she faced her pursuers with a blazing expression of anger. He hands balled up into fists as she spread her wings fully, the white feathers gleaming in the sun. 

"May you all rot in-" 

She didn't even finish when the men took back off the way they came, shrieking with fear. Ignoring it, she flew down into the void, seeing Storm's body plummeting like a rock. Folding her wings back, she picked up speed until she was whistling down. Catching up with Storm, she grabbed her and spread her wings, flapping until they had slowed down considerably. 

"Christ, she weighs a ton." Tara grunted as she started to fly back up and head for the other side of the rift. 

Finally resting on the other side, she let Storm fall before she folded her wings away and crouched down to see Storm's head better. 

"There's a nasty bump." she murmured seeing the swelling that had already started. "Alright Storm, let's move you to a safe spot." she managed to sling Storm over her shoulder and headed into the forest with a mutter. "I am going to give myself a hernia if I keep this up." 

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Seated in the back of the tavern, Av nursed a pint of beer along with his black eye. He looked up from time to time, glancing at the other patrons in the tavern; a couple of serving girls, the barkeep and a few soldiers lingering over their drinks. _'Zaibach...'_ He would much rather that they left and never showed back up again 

"There you are Av. I've been looking all over for you? How did today go? Find anything interesting?" 

Av looked up at his friend Ramo before he glowered back down into his mug. "Isn't my eye telling you anything?" 

"Besides the fact that your old lady may have had to show you a thing or two, no." Ramo said taking a seat beside his friend; he was used to the bruises his friend sported from time to time, normally when he was found out for one of his affairs. 

"Funny." he replied in a sarcastic tone. 

"All right then, how was work today?" 

"All well and good until Div decided to capture these two girls he encountered on the road today." 

"That's how you got a black eye? From a girl? And not a woman? Man, you are growing weak!" Ramo said with a slight chuckle. "Sorry; care to tell me what happened?" he asked when Av shot him a dirty look. 

Av sighed before he took a quick swallow. "It was all well and good. They were beautiful girls mind you; they would have brought in plenty of money. Kings would pay for slaves that looked like these two." 

"Eh heh. Most kings don't seem to know what's what. Keep going." 

This one girl, she knew something as wrong from the start. Black hair like midnight and one of those bodies..." 

"You mean all..." Ramo made a curvy motion in the air that Av nodded at. "Heh...sounds like I could like this girl. Keep on." 

"You always liked curvy women. Anyways, black hair, the body of a goddess and the most intense pair of eyes you ever saw. I swear they were blackish brown. The other girl, there's something I have never seen before. Red hair that looked like so many things; fire, copper, gold..." 

"You sound like a love sick fool, you do realize that right?" 

"Would you shut up and let me finish? I am being kind enough to let you know." Av said with a scowl. He gave a small sound of triumph at Ramo's nod. "Now she was also curvy and she packs one mean punch." 

"You mean she's the one who gave you that black eye?" Ramo asked incredulously. "You can barely see out of it." 

"Still think my old lady did it?" 

"No. she'd leave you with some eye to see out of. So you could do all the stuff she wants you to do for her." Ramo paused. "And what did the other one do?" 

"Nearly ran me through with her sword." he unconsciously rubbed his side gingerly. "She just nicked me and she didn't have the intent to kill; maim most likely." 

"How can you be sure?" 

"If she was going to kill, I'd be lying on the side of the road dead and not here enjoying my beer." Av shook his head after he drained the rest of the mug. "I tell you, they fought like demons. They beat up half of us, left us with bruised pride and tried to escape." 

"Did they? Escape I mean." 

"Yes. The girl with the red hair...she has wings." Av said in a low voice. 

"Wings...but that would mean that she's a Draconian." 

"And you know what they say about them. What good is a cursed slave?" Av started into his mug mournfully, wishing there was more beer there. "When we saw that, we high tailed it out of there." 

"Smart move my man." Ramo clapped him on the back. "I would have done the same. Don't you remember what happened when King Goau married that Draconian? Nothing but trouble from the start." 

"And you wonder why I didn't stick around to catch her? If she didn't have the wings, she would have been worth it." 

"And the other girl?" Ramo asked. 

"Dead; she fell into the old gully out in the forest." 

"Damn; you lost two potential slaves there, didn't you?" 

Av sighed. "Yes. This hasn't been a good day for me. And now I have to go home and face the wife. I swear it's like those two girls came from somewhere else." 

"And why do we say that?" 

"They wore the strangest clothes. These pants that were blue and close fitting somewhat and these tops that showed arms and their...chests." 

Ramo snickered as Av blushed. "You sell people into bondage for a living but when it comes to describing 'certain female attributes' you become shy. You have an interesting set of morals my friend." 

"Anyways," Av continued. "All in all they certainly weren't from around here. I wouldn't be surprised if they..." he trailed off as a tall lanky solider walked beside their table as he moved through the crowd. "If they came from the Mystic Moon." 

Ramo paused as the man who had just passed by glanced back before heading out of the tavern. "I don't think you should go around with that part of the story my friend. Now why don't you have another beer and not go home early? Plus you can tell me about these girls again." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Footsteps echoed down the metal corridor as the solider strode towards the door at the end. Opening it, he walked in to see the slight girl seated beside the other door. 

"Is Lord Folken in?" he asked. 

"Lord Folken is talking to Emperor Dornkirk at the moment. If you could just wait and-" 

"I need to talk to his Lordship now." 

The girl nodded before she opened the door and ducked in rather hesitantly. The solider started pacing around anxiously; perhaps this was the step he needed to get that promotion he wanted so much. He looked up as the door opened again, the girl walking out once more. 

"Lord Folken says that it must wait whatever it is. He is currently-" 

The solider ignored her, pushing past her insistently; this couldn't wait. The room was dark with a faint glow that came from around a corner. 

"Our future has changed much in the past few hours." the ancient voice sounded slightly sonorous. "You must find a way to counteract this and-" 

"Your Lordship? Emperor." the solider said, bowing slightly as he rounded the turn. "I have rather urgent news." 

The tall cloak figure turned around with an expression of slight displeasure. "You know that you aren't allowed in here. Explain yourself." 

The solider swallowed a bit nervously; perhaps this wasn't the best idea, but he was here now. "I couldn't help but overhear what the Emperor was saying I believe that I may have the answer Lord Folken." 

"I'm listening." Folken said with a faint tone of interest. 

"I happened to pay a visit to Fanalia earlier in the day. There was a man talking of two girls he attempted to capture." 

"For what purpose?" 

"Slaves your Lordship. But they failed for one supposedly died and the other they didn't wish to capture after she revealed a certain fact to them. The girl had wings and the man believes her to be a Draconian as well that the girls came from the Mystic Moon." 

"A Draconian? From the Mystic Moon? Are you sure that you heard right?" Folken said. 

"The man was quite clear in his description and rather irritated by the fact that he suffered a black eye during the attempt to capture the girl before they knew of her nature." 

Folken remained silent for a few minutes. "Thank you. You may wait outside until I am finished here." 

The solider bowed and promptly made himself scarce. 

"It would seem that providence gave us our answer." 

Folken turned back to look at Emperor. "That it would. Perhaps you should allow me to investigate this for myself. This 'Draconian' and the other girl may be the reason why the future has changed so much." 

"Hn." the image of the Emperor's face grew pensive. "I'll leave this in your hands Folken. I know you won't fail." 

Folken remained silent as the image faded before he walked out of the room. He spied the solider leaning against the wall with an anxious expression on his face. He motioned for the boy to walk beside him as he left the room. 

"Shall I be demoted for my actions my Lord?" 

Folken smiled faintly at the quiet words. "No, you shall not. I want you to find out what else you can of these so called girls and about the girl that died; confirm that. Search the area as discreetly as possible. We don't want the future King of Fanalia objecting to what we must do." 

"Am...I working for your Lordship now?" 

"Yes. Who's your commander?" 

"Lord Dilandau." 

"I'll have a talk with him. I'm sure I can persuade him." Folken said. "Rest for the night and get started in the morning." 

"Yes my Lord." the solider bowed before he took off the opposite way. 

Folken continued down the hallway until he came to his laboratory and seated himself down t his desk. Schematics and rough plans littered the workspace and the table before him, Mind turning, he looked over at the chess set that lay by the window, a temporary escape from all the work. Going over to it, he noticed, two pieces had fallen to the floor. He bent down and picked them up,a queen and rook, placing them back in their respective spots before he gazed at the board reflectively. His finger lingered for a moment on the crown of the queen as he mulled over the black and white squares._'Just how great an effect can two girls have here if they come from the Mystic Moon?'_

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	3. Three

A/N: To Hatake; you were an amazing writer and made me think much more critically about what I wrote, about certain things and made me better for it. Requiescat in pace Hatake-sama. 

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_Chapter Three_

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"Want a fruit Storm?" the purple plum was offered. 

"Sure." taking it, Storm took a bite out of it before making a face. "It's a bit overripe you know." 

With a sigh Tara got up, heading to the back of the cave and looked through their meager stores. "There's not much else today you know. We haven't exactly visited the farmer yet so we are rather low on food." 

Storm snorted as she rose also, going to the cave entrance. "This really does suck you know. Why are we hiding in a cave? Why don't we just go to a town and stay there? That's what Xeno keeps telling us to do." 

"I told you already, it's not safe in the towns." she clearly remembered the men's reactions when they saw that she had wings. "Man, I kinda wish that Arisa was here; she'd knock some sense into you." 

"Who the hell are you talking about? You keep referring to this Arisa person for the longest time and I have no clue who she is." 

Tara sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose; ever since Storm had hit her head against that rock, she seemed to have lost some of her memories; mostly a good portion of the ones before they found themselves here in this strange land. "Never mind, you don't know her; she…ah…visits the farmer we get our food from time to time. She's a really nice person." Tara turned away, feeling a stabbing sense of guilt. _'Just tell her that Arisa is her mother Tara; it's not that hard is it?'_

"Jeez, you make it seem so secretive and whatnot." Storm shrugged. "How about we go and see him now? We are a bit overdue for a visit aren't we?" 

"Fine. Let's take the scenic way today please? I need to get rid of the stress." 

"Stress? Are you feeling all right?" Strom peered into her face as she strapped her sword on. "Do you want to stay while I go? I'll run fast and be back before you know it; Xeno won't hold me up unless we're both there. Maybe this time I can annoy him for some strawberries…" Storm licked her lips at the thought. 

Tara shook her head with a slow smile; even if Storm had lost a significant portion of her memory, she was still the same old Storm. "No, I could use the air to clear my head. But you could stop with your incessant questions for once. Even I need a break once in awhile you know." 

Storm didn't say anything as they walked out of the cave and through the cool forest. "But wouldn't you have questions if you woke up in a cave with someone who said they were and are your friend but you couldn't remember anything about them? In the middle of the forest no less?" 

"True I suppose. But could you ease up on the questions today? I mean we already established that I don't have all the answers. I don't even have answers for myself." 

"All right. "Storm jumped over a large arching tree root. "Have you been getting enough sleep lately? You always seem to be up minding the fire." 

"Don't worry, I've been getting enough sleep." Tara said brushing it aside like it was nothing. "I just have a lot on my mind lately." she found herself thankful that at least that particular sentence wasn't a lie. _'That and the fire keeps me company even in the dark of my mind…'_

"Did you want to talk about it?" 

She paused momentarily; it all seemed from fragmentary and chaotic but it was probably just her own fears about the place and Storm's condition left plenty delegated to her. "No, it's all right, I'll be fine in a few days Now what's wrong?" she demanded almost crossly seeing Storm's hand grip her sword hilt reflexively. 

"Listen…don't you hear that noise. It sounds like a dragon…" 

"Which we won't be heading to at all; we need food and Xeno's cottage is eastwards. Come on." she took Storm's hand and started off. "Besides, Xeno warned us against going near them." 

"But listen to this one. It's not like the usual roars we hear." Storm tugged back on her hand. "I want to see what's causing it." 

"Are you mad?! You'll be roasted to a crisp and I'm not losing my best friend like that. Off to Xeno's." 

"Look, I just want to see that the dragon is all right; that's all. Once I see, we'll take off and bother Xeno. For strawberries…strawberries Tara…." 

"Oh fine." Tara said with a disgusted sigh. "Just to see and then we're gone!" 

Storm smiled at her. "Thanks Tara." 

"Don't' thank me. I'm sure that dragon will be thankful once it has two rotisserie humans before it soon enough." 

Storm didn't say anything as she led the way through the forest, the undergrowth becoming thicker and more difficult to navigate through. 

"Are you sure this is the only way?" Tara asked with a disgruntled mutter as a thorn bit into her arm for the fifteenth time. 

Storm looked back at her before she put a finger to her lips for silence. She motioned for Tara to come closer. The roar of the dragon echoed around them, this time obviously close. Tara peered around carefully to see a clearing just through the screening leaves, a dragon crouched low to the ground, watching something with obvious dislike as it lumbered around in a strange circle. Moving slightly, she saw a dark haired man with a drawn sword circling slowly. 

"What do you think is happening?" Storm asked in a whisper. 

"I don't know. Maybe the dragon ate some of his cows?" she hissed back. "But look at the dragon; it's beautiful." 

The scales glinted a deep bluish green from the winking sunlight, like the colour of seawater. Eyes that were a cool and pale aqueous colour shifted from their focus to them before darting back. Suddenly the lumbering mass charged forward with amazing speed, causing a barely discernable curse to reach their ears; apparently the man fighting the dragon hadn't expected that. 

"And this is where we go." she hissed at Storm. With a sigh of exasperation when Storm didn't answer, obviously transfixed by the scene before her, she tugged on a lock of Storm's hair. "Now; before we end up on the dinner menu." 

"Yeah. I did promise that, didn't I?" 

Tara watched as Storm rose and started to head back through the thick brush. Sticking close behind her, she walked in the path made; she didn't really want to deal with those exasperating thorns again. Soon enough, they found themselves walking down the familiar path to Xeno's house. 

"Finally we can get some food. Didn't he promise us something?" Tara asked as she looked at Storm. 

"Yeah, he said he'd give us a pint because we found that plant he needed so much." Storm sighed. "A pint of homebrew, that's what he promised us…and he drinks strong shit." 

"Have you noticed?" Tara said with a repressed laugh. "The shed in the back reeks like gym feet. Bad analogy, never mind." 

"All right. At least I'm not the only one who noticed that funky smell. By the way, what exactly are gym feet?" 

Tara groaned inwardly. "I'll tell you later. I'm getting rather hungry now." 

They knocked on the door and found themselves invited to sit at the table for conversation while Xeno gave them tankards of homebrew. Tara looked at it apprehensively as the fumes wafted off of it before she took a little swallow. She looked at the clay vessel in surprise before looking up at Xeno. 

"Surprised that it didn't burn your throat off?" he asked in his worn gruff voice. 

"Yeah. It's pretty good!" she exclaimed, rather pleased to escape unscathed. 

"Says..you..." Storm wheezed as she squeezed her eyes shut, head bent as tears ran down the sides of her cheeks. 

"Would you like some water Storm?" Xeno asked as he half rose. "You know, there was a reason why I told you not to drink it all in one shot." 

Storm stuck out her grasping hand as she waited for the water to come. Once the cup reached her fingers she drank down half of it quickly, relieved sighs escaping from her throat. Tara snickered but looked around innocently as Storm shot her a look. 

"So Xeno, how are things going with you?" she said demurely as she raised her tankard. "Still have your cows?" 

"Cows? They're fine, thanks for asking, as is everything else. Do you want to hear the latest news?" 

"What?" Tara asked with an avid gleam in her eye; it was rather tough being out there in the forest and she found that she looked forward to visiting Xeno. 

"Prince Van is finally going through the rites to become King." 

"But...you said that he was already King Xeno." Storm said with a bit of confusion on her face. 

"All he needs is the title and everything is set in Fanalia. The only reason why they let him go now is because they don't want the same thing happening again." 

Tara paused for a minute. "You never told us that story." 

Xeno paused as he searched his memory. "No I didn't; you girls should know it if you plan on going to the city to live eventually." he gave them a rather pointed look. "They only let him go now because they felt he was ready to handle the task of killing a dragon and coming back. That's what the guy who has the market stall next to me said. " 

Tara huffed a bit. "I suppose having the last of a monarchy die by way of a dragon stepping on him doesn't do much good, does it?" 

"No. Once Prince Van slays the dragon, he has a big ceremony, everything is in its proper place and no one can contest that he isn't the rightful king of Fanalia." 

"Touching." Storm said as she rose, her eyes still watering. "I need to get some air. I'll be back in a few minutes." 

Tara and Xeno watched as Storm walked outside, cradling the cup of water, mumbling about the potency of alcohol and the potential conspiracy of two people she knew. With a slight laugh, Tara turned to face Xeno, raising the tankard once again. 

"She's your friend." Xeno said, cutting off Tara's words. "You honestly don't look so good. Is the cave floor that hard that you're not getting enough sleep? I've told you time and time again that you can stay here if you like. It's not safe for you girls to be out there in the forest like that." 

She shook her head. "I'm fine...it's just a bit of stress, that's all. Once I can relax fully, the insomnia will disappear. You really worry about us that much, huh?" 

"All right. And yes I do; you two remind me so much of them..." Xeno said slowly as if he didn't quite accept it. "I remember one year there was a bad drought and I owed people money. You don't want to know the many sleepless nights I spent up and awake. So many things were chasing me down; like the-" 

Xeno's words were cut short by the loud shattering roar that was immediately followed by the rising cries of birds. Giving each other puzzled looks, they walked to the door, coming upon an empty yard, the cup of water lying discarded on the ground. With a muttered curse, Tara started towards the trees, seeing the spot where Storm had just passed. 

"You can't go! That was a dragon, you could be killed!" Xeno yelled after her as she headed towards the repeated sound. 

"Tell that to Storm; I'll be right back. And I'll be fine!!" she managed before she melted into the greenery. 

She ran like the wind, ignoring branches and the other things that whipped and scored her. Completely disregarding the thorns, she finally burst into the clearing to see it covered in a puddle of green blood, Storm on her knees beside the barely heaving dragon, stroking its muzzle sadly. 

"I didn't think it was blood before," Storm's words were soft and barely heard. "It was so green. But I could taste it…its dragon's blood…so green." 

Tara gave her a skeptical look as her eyes flickered to the squishy liquid beneath her feet. Bending down, she touched her fingertip to it and brought it to her mouth, rolling it around on her tongue. The distinct coppery taste was there as well as something else a bit subtle underlying it, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She walked over slowly, seating herself beside Storm. The pale eyes blinked once more accepting what the two humans had done before its very eyes. And Tara saw something else in them, overwhelming in its full scope. She understood everything as the dragon's aqueous eyes locked onto hers, boring deep and hard. This silent language speaks with no volume; the language was far more primal and not easily conveyed in English. 

Finally the eyes closed as the dragon took its final breath and went completely still and body going slack. Storm bowed her head and as she let her hand fall still on the muzzle. Tara placed an arm around Storm's shoulder. 

"Come on; we can't do anymore here. We have something else to do now." 

"What?" Storm pulled back sharply, almost slipping in blood. "How could you-" 

"I don't know but when the dragon looked at me…"she held out her hands helplessly. "I just can't describe it to you Storm." 

"Well," Storm let her body relax. "It's nice to know that 'm not losing my mind here for the moment." 

"You mean you-" Tara started. 

"Yes. I'm going now Tara." 

"All right, I'll come with you." Tara said rising also. "Shall we head down to the coast as per se instructions?" 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The dank wet drip echoed around them constantly as Tara and Storm crept their way into the cave, maneuvering around stalactites and stalagmites, some of them forming impressive columns. 

"How far do you think this is going to be?" Tara asked as they delicately stepped through the shallow puddles. 

"I have no idea really. It took us three whole days of solid travel to get here now; not that Xeno was pleased with coming here. He really does worry about us too much." Storm said as she clambered over a stalactite that blocked her ay completely. _'Not much farther I hope though.'_

Silence returned further to the cave as they made their way further and further in, the sound of dripping water increasing steadily. Almost abruptly, the tunnel they had been following opened up into a massive chamber, a lake on the other side of it with light streaming down from minute holes in the ceiling. On the opposite side of the lake were two dragons, their massive delicate wings stretched into the air casting a gentle blue as light passed through the membranes. Awestruck, Tara and Storm stood there, not too sure what to do. 

Storm watched as Tara took a hesitant step forward, her foot coming down on a crumbly piece of dirt with a crunch. The dragons' head snapped up immediately as the sound reverberated throughout the silent cavern. They regarded Tara and Storm warily, unsure of how to react to this. 

"They need to sense that we won't harm them." Storm said. "Approach them very slowly." 

Watching as Tara took another hesitant step forward Storm followed behind her keeping a close eye on the lizards before them. She held Tara still as she jumped slightly seeing the dragons shift themselves so they faced them directly. 

"It's all right. Just be careful with your actions." she whispered into Tara's ear. 

Tara shot her a nervous look before she moved her feet again. It seemed like forever until they were a few feet away, hesitant to go on. 

"Do you think this is where we lose our heads because they get bitten off? Or do we get roasted?" Tara asked in an anxious voice. 

A low snarl came from the closest dragon making Tara stiffen and face it rather meekly. The other dragon curled up as if watching the show with a faint trace of fascination with heavy lidded eyes. 

"I don't think it liked that." Storm said in a slightly amused voice. "Perhaps you should apologize; you may have hurt its feelings." 

Storm could have laughed at the look on Tara's face yet she remained silent before she walked forward with a clear purpose; she walked right up to the dragon that seemed to be dozing. The clear azure eyes flew open and locked onto hers with clarity. Storm didn't flinch, her hand reaching out to slowly touch the scaled muzzle. _'Those teeth could bite my hand off at any given moment…'_ She never broke contact with the dragon's eyes, her hand remaining where it was. 

"Storm..." Tara's voice sounded harsh with strained worry. 

"That wasn't so bad was it?" she asked looking back at Tara with a smile and seated herself in front of the resting head, her hand still on the muzzle. 

The dragon gave a slight huff before closing its eyes completely with a serene expression. Storm scratched the skin gently as she looked at Tara who was standing before the other dragon unsure of what to do. The dragon walked forward a bit before sending a fearsome roar up to the rocky roof. Tara flinched back a bit before squaring her shoulders and taking a few determined steps forward. The dragon roared again, trying to rattle Tara. The dragon behind Storm opened one eye to cast a baleful glare at the noisemaker before closing it again. Suddenly Tara's face cracked with a grin. 

"You have an attitude don't you?" she said with a laugh. 

The dragon roared again, this time sounding unsure of itself. 

"Blowhard." Tara laughed out with a smile. "You aren't really like that at all, are you?" 

The dragon gave a weak sort of growl before it flopped down to the ground as if giving up in resignation; it seemed that once rattled this human wouldn't rattle again easily. Tara walked up to it and sat down a few centimeters away from its forelegs, looking up at it with a smile. Then she leaned back against it and closed her eyes. Storm snickered seeing clear surprise in the dragon's eyes but stopped once it turned to glare at her. 

"Do you think this could work out Storm? I do rather like this one..." she said patting the scaly limb. 

The dragon made a sound and buried its head between its forelegs while the other one gazed down at Storm. She didn't say anything for a few minutes simply watching those eyes with their acquiescent and amused expression. 

"I think it's going to work out just fine." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here's a bit of a preview for the fourth chapter. The dragons are named Glide and Cork. 

~*~

Tara didn't say anything as she saw the town coming back up into full view. The houses looked peaceful enough but there by the water's edge were more flames, chasing each other around the sky. Coming up, Tara saw Storm fighting off the few machines that taunted her and made close passes. Anger blazing fully now, she charged right into the fray, Cork breathing fire and clearing an aerial path. 

"Get the hell out of here Tara! It's a trap!!" Storm yelled at her. 

"What?!" she looked around suddenly as more machines seemed to materialize out of thin air, hammering home the foolishness of her hasty rush in. "Storm? Storm?!" 

She looked around as her dragon slashed at one suit that dared to come too close and left it to tumble to the sea. Storm had vanished again and- Suddenly a sharp bump came from below, knocking her and Cork up higher than the suits. She craned to the side to see Storm look at her before she took off again, back towards the mountains. Most of the machines followed after her and it wasn't before long that Storm was pitched from Glide's back in a complicated and twisting maneuver. 

"Storm!" Tara dug her heels into Cork's thick hide, making him start down into a dead fall to catch up. 

Then a suit materialized in front of her, making Cork back draft sharply. Tara held on but her grip wasn't enough for the first time. She found herself meeting air and then the water as it rushed up to greet her like a ton of bricks. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


	4. Four

_Chapter Four_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Opening her eyes, Tara looked around to see the edge of a cliff just up ahead. She looked around disconcerted; wasn't she asleep in the cave with Storm and the dragons? Shaking her head, she walked closer to the cliff edge and sat down, gazing at the endless stretches of sea before her; she must have fallen asleep and forgotten that she had come out. Swinging her feet nonchalantly, she started humming a tune, feeling the sense of anxiety dissipate from inside her; she did have plenty to deal with now, being stranded from home and making sure that Storm didn't run off and get herself killed somehow. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back, staring up at the sky. It always seemed to bring her closer to home, seeing the bright blue white swirled orb hanging there in the sky, night or day. 

"What did we do to end up here?" she whispered as she sat up suddenly. 

The nervous feeling had returned almost immediately, making her rub her arms. She didn't feel safe there anymore; time to leave. Rising she dusted her pants off and started back down the road towards the forest. With last minute hesitancy, she turned to see the cliff one more time; only now it was masked by the dark looming figure of some sort of flying castle, strange red machines flying down from it, fire blazing from cannons mounted on their arms. She started immediately for the forest, only to have her route cut off by a sudden sweep of flames. She whipped around to suddenly find herself encircled by fire, the flames dancing closer and closer as she stayed in the middle the best she could. She didn't dare draw her wings; the flames were too close and they would catch fire. 

"What do you want?!" she yelled over the roar of the fire. 

Jeering laughs responded as a line of red machines surrounded the fire, their cannons aimed dead at her. One laugh rose above all others with a slightly maniacal ring to it as one suit stepped forward from the rest. Tara flinched back as the flames rose higher than before; there was no way she was escaping from this at all. 

"Take aim; if you miss, you don't have the right to call yourselves Dragonslayers!" the voice yelled. 

Tara steeled herself as the arms sighted onto her, all pointing dead blank; there was no chance they'd miss now. Orange and red danced around her as she shielded her face from the scorching blaze then she suddenly felt the ground go from beneath her legs, the wind whipping through her hair. Moving her arms she looked to see the circle of fire behind her. Reflexively her arms went around the neck that was present; this had totally caught her off guard. She drew back slightly to find herself looking into the face of a man she had never seen before; a man with wings. 

He gave her a faint smile, as if to tell her that everything would be all right. She blinked startled before looking down to see that they were high off the ground, higher than she had ever went before. Her arms tightened around him; even though she knew that it was impossible, she couldn't stop the feeling that she could fall and plummet to her death. 

"They're coming Tara." 

She looked at him, startled that he would know her name at all. Looking over his shoulder, she aw the same red flying suits come hurtling towards them. Pushing away from him, she let herself fall for a nit before she spread her wings and fell into flight beside the man beside her. The forest below them had gone from peaceful greens to angry and blistering red, oranges and yellows. She darted close to the fire before pulling back up in an effort to lose them in the fierce heat of the flames. 

"Tara, watch out!" 

Suddenly she felt herself being enveloped in a hug of comforting warmth and chilling cold, the man's face buried in her neck. Surprised she held onto him thinking he needed help. It was when the sharp metal drove through her midsection that she understood; he had tried to protect her. She gave a gasp, bright red blood staining her lips as she looked at the man. Sharp jerking sadness and regret swan in those strange coloured depths as they started to plummet to the ground, still joined by the piece of metal that had detached somehow. 

They landed in the middle of a small fire ringed clearing, the heat making everything shimmer and waver, like it had no substance in a strange dream. She closed her eyes as a name spilt past her lips. 

The man managed a smile, as he raised a hand and wiped away the blood that ran from the corner of her mouth. "Tara…" 

Tears came to her eyes only to be evaporated away from the intense heat. As she cried when his hand went limp against her cheek, calling his name over and over again, weeping for the loss of something great. "Tara? Tara? Tara…" 

She couldn't be bothered to answer the voice that called rather insistently, choosing to ignore it and give in instead to the sad darkness that was encroaching upon her few, final and miserable seconds of life. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tara sat up like a shot, her entire body suddenly cold and clammy. She breathed hard as she ran a hand through her hair. _'That was the sixth time this week…'_ With a heavy sigh, she stuck her feet out from the pile of furs she called a bed, staring at her bare toes. She sat there breathing hard, trying to forget the dream when she felt an insistent nudge. Looking over she saw Cork looking at her with a worried light in his blue eyes. Managing a smile, she rubbed his muzzle affectionately. 

"I'm up you big lump." she said. 

"He's worried about you Tara; we all are. Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you?" 

She looked up to see Storm patiently turning the spit, roasting something over the fire. Glide was looking on a bit hungrily. Whatever it was, it looked almost done and the mouthwatering smell was making her hungry as hell. 

"Why don't you shut up and feed Glide; he looks hungry." she snapped irritably as she slid out and headed for the lake. 

Seating herself by the water's edge, she picked up her frayed twig and brushed her teeth vigorously. She quickly washed her face and stood. As she picked up the old cloth to wipe her face dry, she noticed the water was an orange red today. She shook off her involuntary shiver and looked up to see the point of the same colour in the sky. _'Sunset…'_

"Just because you woke up in a bad mood doesn't mean you take it out on me like that." Storm said as Tara came and sat by the fire with Cork lumbering after her. "But it's all right. Glide hunted already so he's fine. After dinner, I plan on going out somewhere; wanna come with?" 

"I want to go to the beach today; the one by the sheer cliff." Tara said as she stared into the fire brooding; she needed to prove to herself that the dream was simply a figment of her imagination; her over active imagination. 

"The beach?" a flash of apprehension crossed Storm's face before she nodded her head in agreement. "All right, we can go there." 

Tara didn't say anything more as she waited for dinner to finish off. This worry was constantly nagging at her and she wanted some respite from it at least. Cork stretched out beside her, his head resting by her legs. With a genuine smile she hugged his head and scratched him in the spot between his neck and jawbone eliciting a happy growl. Even now, she remembered when they had gone out flying for the first time and he had nearly made her fall off when he started to pull crazy maneuvers. She had yelled at him when they had landed and promptly named him for the corkscrews that had nearly made her fall off. Storm had watched the whole thing with amusement before conferring the name of Glide on the more sedate flyer. 

"Nice to see you're enjoying yourself. And try to not dismount me all right?" 

"Dinner's done." Storm announced quietly as she banked the fire slightly and took out her dagger. 

Quiet descended as they sliced off bits and pieces and ate leisurely, giving Cork and Glide tidbits half the time to finish off the entire meal. Every once in awhile, Tara looked down fondly at the dagger in her hand; Xeno had insisted that they take them for their own sakes with the order that hey had to visit him when they were back in the area. The gruff old farmer had become like a father to her here in this mainly hostile word. 

"Tara! Are we going or what?" 

She looked up, jarred from her thoughts to see Storm's slightly annoyed face. "Yeah, we're going to the beach. Did you want to leave now?" 

Storm nodded before she mounted onto Glide's neck. "Shall we take the air exit or the water exit?" 

Tara paused; the water exit was through the lake and she didn't feel like getting wet at the moment. "Air please." she replied as she mounted Cork now. 

The dragon's lumbered to the water's edge and beat their wings, rising into the air and flying to the hidden tunnel behind a small outcropping. Tara sighed as the wind whistled through her hair as they burst out over the sea, the bright light of the sun striking them full on as it sank into the water. They circled around once before, flying westward at a steady speed. By the time they reached the beach, it would be dark and they would be free to move about as they pleased. 

"So how are you doing over there Tara?" Storm asked. 

"Fine." she said, ignoring the slight gnawing in her stomach. 

"Look Tara, you have to talk about it at some point. You were talking in your sleep earlier today when you took your nap." 

"I don't have to talk about anything." she said curtly; she really didn't want to discuss something like this. 

"I think it would help you. You have been getting no sleep since we arrived here on the coast almost a month and a half ago. When we first arrived on Gaea, you were fine and then ever since we moved into that cave back in the Fanalian forests, you have been acting all wonky. You want the truth? You act like you're an impregnable fortress. Just like Wufei." 

"Just like Wufei? Storm…do you realize what you just said?" 

"No." 

"Wufei is a character from our favorite TV show. You know…Gundam Wing…TV. How did you remember that?" 

"I dunno. It just popped into my head. But you are really starting to piss me off." Storm said. "You actually talked in your sleep and you never do that." 

"So? I fail to see how that makes any sort of- hey, I said don't try to kill me!" she said as Cork swerved sharply. 

"Over there!" Storm said as she pointed, swerving to avoid the brown rock that had been flung at them. 

Tara looked around rather lost until she saw the rows of large towering catapults lined against the edge of the cliff, the buildings of a city in the distance visible; they had come out too far too early. She pressed herself closer to Cork's neck as the next volley came again, leaving them to twist and turn to escape the crushing projectiles. Out of the corner of her ye, she saw Storm and Glide managed to slip out, leaving them free to rise out of range before Glide swept back down, a gout of bright flames coming from his jaws, igniting the wooden structures. The men scrambled back as Tara came in for a sweep now, completely setting fire to the wood and for once she was content to let it burn. Then the men took off to their horses, the mountless ones racing for the forest and clearing the general vicinity, chased down by Storm and Glide. 

"Where the hell are they going?" Tara asked as Storm came back to the sky. 

"I don't know. They yelled something about a floating fortress." Storm said. "It's right behind us but I honestly don't see what the big deal is." 

Tara whipped around to see the looming visage only this time, it was real and before her very eyes. A tremble started to take hold of her hands. "Go! We're getting out of here now!!" 

Tara didn't even wait to hear what Storm had to say, bolting towards the town; at no cost would she give away where they had been living for the past month and a half. Storm fell in right beside her, both dragons skimming past the town so fast it was nothing more than a blur. When Tara looked back, she saw the same red machines flying after them, making a sense of panic rise up wildly in her the pit of her stomach. 

"Lose them and then circle back to the cave!" Storm yelled as she broke away, heading for the mountains behind the city. 

Tara didn't reply as she sent Cork into a deep gully that had a river racing along its bed; it was almost like the one back in Fanalia. Cork maneuvered through easily, settling into a large shadowed crack, his eyes glowing a luminescent sapphire with anger. Tara stroked his neck in an effort to calm him down, her heart catching as she saw the machines go flying past; all four of them. Then it all went perfectly quiet and still. Unmoving, Tara and Cork remained in their hiding place, not wishing to have to run again. After a while, Tara got down and peered around carefully; she couldn't even hear the noise of their machines zipping around. Looking back at Cork, she flashed a smile, went back and mounted quickly. 

"Let's go home." she whispered as Cork, flew down and out. 

Tara didn't say anything as she saw the town coming back up into full view. The houses looked peaceful enough but there by the water's edge were more flames, chasing each other around the sky. Coming up, Tara saw Storm fighting off the few machines that taunted her and made close passes. Anger blazing fully now, she charged right into the fray, Cork breathing fire and clearing an aerial path. 

"Get the hell out of here Tara! It's a trap!!" Storm yelled at her. 

"What?!" she looked around suddenly as more machines seemed to materialize out of thin air, hammering home the foolishness of her hasty rush in. "Storm? Storm?!" 

She looked around as her dragon slashed at one suit that dared to come too close and left it to tumble to the sea. Storm had vanished again and- Suddenly a sharp bump came from below, knocking her and Cork up higher than the suits. She craned to the side to see Storm look at her before she took off again, back towards the mountains. Most of the machines followed after her and it wasn't before long that Storm was pitched from Glide's back in a complicated and twisting maneuver. 

"Storm!" Tara dug her heels into Cork's thick hide, making him start down into a dead fall to catch up. 

Then a suit materialized in front of her, making Cork back draft sharply. Tara held on but her grip wasn't enough for the first time. She found herself meeting air and then the water as it rushed up to greet her like a ton of bricks. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Van ran to the thick crowd that blocked off the fringe of the beach, pushing his way through. A feeling of impatience grew causing him to elbow people rather sharply. The crowd parted reluctantly and soon enough, he found himself looking at a girl who was half lying in the water and starting to stir. So someone had fallen… 

"Are you all right?" he asked as he crouched down beside her, trying to see her face. 

The girl recoiled like a snake, her hand going to her side for a weapon with the ease of a natural. When it came up empty, he breathed a sigh of relief; fighting now with this many spectators wasn't an appealing idea. 

"I'm not going to hurt you. Can you speak?" 

"Of course I can speak you idiot; I'm not some child." she snarled as she looked around anxiously. "I have to get out of here." she lunged forward suddenly, her hand closing around something that lay in the water. 

Van watched as she drew the blade out of the water, wiped it dry and sheathed it back again. She started to struggle to her feet, making him take her arm and help her up. She looked at him gratefully before she took a step forward and nearly fell again. Van caught her before she hit and lifted her up. 

"You can't go anywhere; your leg is broken." 

"Van! There you are. Did you find what happened?" 

Van looked up as the crowd parted once more and Allen appeared. He glanced at the girl; her mouth was hanging open slightly. With a heavy sigh, he took a step forward. "No. Let's get her to the palace. We can ask her there. Just clear the way Allen." 

They started through the crowd slowly, the girl taking hopping steps on her good leg. When a collective gasp rose, she turned to look. Van turned also to see a guymelef rise from the water and head back to the fortress while the others fought off the enraged dragons. Once they all made it back in, the dragons roared, the sound echoing out over the bay, before one started attacking the fortress and the other came towards the ground. The crowd took off in a panic, swirling around Allen, Van and the girl. Van helped her to the ground as he drew his sword and took his stance. He hadn't figure on having to kill another dragon yet. The ground shook as it landed and bellowed before Allen and Van, murder in its eyes. Just as Van turned the edge of his sword to charge a voice made him stop. 

"Stop!" the girl commanded with a bark. "If you lay a hand on that dragon, I will see to you personally." 

Van turned to face her with surprise as she looked between him and Allen, daring them to contradict her. He let his sword tip drop slightly, motioning for Allen to do the same; maybe there was something this girl knew that they didn't. Nothing was said as she finally stopped looking at them and shifted her attention to the dragon now, maintaining contact with its eyes. Finally after what seemed like endless minutes, the dragon gave a discontent growl before taking to the sky and disappearing with the other one in tow. 

"How did you do that?" Allen asked as he sheathed his sword back. 

The girl didn't respond, simply sitting there on the ground like a statue. Allen started to open his mouth but Van laid a hand on his arm, shaking his head. Going back to the girl he picked her up and carried her to his horse, seating her in the saddle and taking the reins. 

"I'll take care of things down here." Allen said before mounting his horse and taking off down toward the road where the catapults had been set up for practice. 

Silently, Van started towards the palace, the clip clop of hooves barely heard as the people started to come back and crowd around the horse, eager to see this girl who had fallen from the sky. Irritated by the now constant press, he mounted behind the girl and pushed his way to a side street before picking up the pace and leaving the crowd behind. The girl looked around wildly before looking back at him. 

"Where are you taking me? I don't want to be sold." she said in a desperate sounding voice. 

"Sold?" he looked at her with true puzzlement. "I'm taking you to the palace so your leg can be fixed." obviously she had a brush with the slave trade somehow. 

"Oh." that was all she said before she fell silent but her eyes were always looking around, taking in her surroundings with a cautious wariness. 

Van sighed mentally as he tried to imagine what faced him at the palace; today certainly wasn't his day. First he had managed to offend Millerna somehow and Merle seemed to be on her side and meanwhile, Allen was giving him that tone that said he was speaking to a mere child. 

"Arrogant ass," he said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I do know how to do things." 

The girl half turned around to look at him before she turned her attention back to looking around, her head shaking slightly. Van didn't say anything more as he clucked to the horse and made it veer to the left and up a path to the guarded gates. Leaving the horse with the palace grooms, he picked her up and walked into the side door, walking down long and curving hallways. Finally coming to the right one, he banged on it with his foot, 

"I have a patient for you Millerna!" he called before he started to wait patiently. 

The sound of a lock sliding open reached his ears before the metal door swung open slowly, a pair of blue eyes visible in the dim corridor. Nothing was said as the eyes swept over the girl in Van's arms with an analytical gleam. 

"Bring her in Van and place her on the table." Millerna moved aside and allowed Van to come in. 

"Thanks Millerna." he said as he set the girl down on the operating table. "Where's Merle? She said she was staying with you." 

"She went down to dinner." Millerna said absently as she started checking over the girl. She gave a small gasp when she saw the leg. "How did this happen?" 

"She-" 

"I fell really far." the girl said quietly. "On to something fairly hard." 

Van nodded his head as Millerna looked at him for confirmation. "She did hit pretty hard. That's why her leg is like that. Just how bad is it?" 

"It's broken in two places but the skin is still intact so it's not so bad. But I don't have any anesthesia and this has to be taken care of immediately." Millerna said as she looked at the girl. "Do you want to drink wine or have nothing at all?" 

"You're going to let her get drunk?" Van asked with a slight note of disbelief in his voice. 

"Not completely. At this point this and nothing are the only options she has." Millerna said in a firm tone. 

"Whatever you have in the way of strong liquor. I don't really drink much so less is better." she said softly. "And someone's hand." 

"Someone's hand?" Van came back from the cabinet that Millerna sent him to and gave the girl the bottle. 

"I'm not superwoman you know." she muttered darkly as she took a small pull. "Everyone has their kryptonite." 

"Kryptonite?" he muttered to himself completely lost. "Here, have my hand." he said, brushing aside her previous words. 

"Should I sit up or lay down?" she asked as Millerna came back to the table. 

"Lay down and I can set it right." Millerna said as she busied herself with the final preparations. "When you feel that you need a break just let me know all right." 

The girl gave a snort before taking another drink. "I need a break from you talking; get to it already." 

Van stood beside the table now, covering up his laughter from the comment that had Millerna slightly flushed with anger. The girl lay down and gritted her teeth. He watched as Millerna steeled herself and took hold of the upper leg and started pulling slowly. The girl's forehead broke out with a thin sheen of sweat, her hand gripping Van's in a death grip. It seemed to take forever to move that one piece back into place. And by the time Millerna finally paused for the first break, he was sure that his hand had been reduced to a mass of pulp; if he hadn't been holding on with all he had, he would need a splint for the hand. He bent down and looked at her pasty sweat drenched face, the black hair a sharp contrast. 

"I realize what I look like." she muttered before taking a long drink. 

"It's almost over; halfway there." he said softly as he flexed his hand and got a better grip in hers. 

"Let's finish this up please." she said, looking at Millerna. 

With a heavy sigh, Millerna wiped away the last bit of sweat remained on her forehead before she took hold of the lower part of her leg and did the same thing once more. This part went by much faster and in ten minutes Millerna was done and splinting up the leg and bandaging it. Once Millerna finished, the girl sat up and polished off the bottle, slamming it down beside her as she breathed with little pants. 

"I could use some more of that stuff; lingering pain isn't very nice." 

Millerna looked up sharply from her last minute check. "You finished it completely?!" 

The girl nodded. "If you wanted me to leave some, you should have said so." 

"I think she's more surprised because the stuff you finished off usually floors a grown man." Van said. "And you're still up." 

"Well then I can hold my liquor. Do I get crutches or what?" she asked as she swayed slightly. 

Millerna walked to a spot beside her desk and drew out a pair. "Now I want you to stay off that leg for the next three weeks before you try to walk around on it freely. And could you watch out for her during that time Van? She most likely could use the supervision." 

Van paused; stay on Millerna's bad side or play babysitter for three weeks. This girl couldn't be any worse than Millerna. "All right; three weeks you said?" 

"Yes," Millerna said. "And make sure that she gets plenty of rest and good meals." 

Van nodded as he ushered the girl out. "Thank you Millerna." he said as he closed the door with a relieved sigh. 

"What was that for? You sound glad to out of there." 

Van looked up at the girl; she was standing perfectly straight but now her voice was slurred slightly. "I am in a way. Can you walk or are you completely drunk?" 

"I'm not drunk you fool." the girl said. "I am no where close to drunk. Do you see me kissing the floor? I don't think so. So long as I am standing, I am not drunk." 

"All right, whatever you say." he said as they started to walk down the hall. 

"Heeey, did I ever tell you my name Van?" she looked at him, her eyes not quite focusing. "I should shouldn't I?" 

"If you want to. Maybe you should sleep and then we'll talk in the morning." he said gently. 

"Bah! You should know my name. I'll tell you it. It's Storm. Stormy Stormy!!" 

Van shook his head as she descended into a fit of mad giggles. "All right then Storm. Let's get you to sleep." 

"Oh fine then." she said with a pout as she started down the hall shakily. 

Van took her crutches and picked her up. "You really could use the sleep at the moment. We don't want you getting hurt again. And I'd rather not have Millerna mad at me again." 

Storm mumbled something but her response was lost into his shirt. Finding an empty room close to his, Van opened the door and went in, placing her in the bed and pulling the covers up; already she was fast asleep. Making sure she was tucked in, he went to the door. He paused for a moment before he looked back at her. _'Why would she be riding a dragon?'_ Shaking his head he closed the door and went to find Allen; some things were better left until the morning. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


	5. Five

A/N: Hatakesama is well!! Hope you get better soon and out of the hospital all right. Thanks for the e-mail clearing that up. And to all who have been waiting patiently for this chapter, here you go. I was kinda busy singing along to Cowboy Bebop music. . .namely Tank! and The Real Folk Blues in my tone deaf, off key way. . .but it scares away my annoying brother. ^^ And I have actually reached decision; no Hitomi in this ficcy. 

Thanks to: BlueDreamer who has been major supportive. I can't wait to see what you do with your fic; Ice Eyes, who finds the time to review even though certain parents don't want her tying up the phone line. And Peridot Pooka who was there in the early notebook days and said to keep going even though I thought it was crap. 

_Chapter Five_

Bright light flooded her irises as the lids were pulled back and peered into. She muttered to herself and squeezed them shut before rolling over. "Go away." 

The hand came back again, opening her eyelids and allowing in the bright light. She pushed them away more forcefully before she rolled onto her stomach, face first on what she could now tell to be cold metal. 

"Subject is uncooperative. Inject the mild sedative." 

Tara mumbled as she felt her arm being taken. It was when the thin metal punctured her arm that she sprang to life. Her eyes flew open as she glared around before she spied the one holding the syringe and growled at him. Her hand balled up into a fist and connected with his jaw a split second later. The man toppled to the floor while the others started to advance in more closely on Tara. 

"Give it your best shot." she muttered, her hand straying to her hilt. 

Her eyes narrowed in rage as she tightened her grip on the knife by her side. The room stared to blur slightly as she maintained her defensive position. The figures bled into one another forcing her to blink rapidly to clear her vision. One approached her suddenly from the left and she responded swiftly, the blade managing to connect with some body part. 

"Just calm down, you don't have to worry now." 

Startled at the voice that came from behind her, she whipped around her hand traveling like a bolt of lightning. She gave a gasp of surprise as cold metal snapped shut around her wrist, stopping the blade. With a growl, her other hand whipped around and belted the person across the face. They didn't say anything as they caught her wrist, preventing her from fighting back. The world started to tip crazily as she shifted slightly, her feet moving around jerkily as she fought to keep her balance. She relaxed as the voice dawned on her. She paused and peered up into the face of someone before she slumped forward slightly, mere effort becoming more difficult. 

"Everything will be fine." 

She managed to raise her head up to see a mismatched splotch of someone's head before she blacked out, the injection taking full effect. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A dull pulsating throb greeted her as she opened her eyes, the faint glow of an overhead light greeting her. "Christ, my head is killing me." she groped around with a fumbling touch for something to alleviate the headache. "Storm, do you have anything for my head?" she asked in a rough voice. "Storm?" she asked as she blinked and looked around with bleary vision. 

A steel room greeted her as her vision cleared the four walls cold and impassive. She scrambled back, her hand going for her dagger as the events came rushing back to her. 

"Is this what you're looking for this?" 

Her eyes looked around until they spotted the man seated in the chair, his back towards her. "Give it back." 

"I much prefer it in my hand for the moment." the man half shifted and regarded her. 

Tara gazed back at him unflinchingly as she remained half crouched on the bed. Silence descended over the room the only sound coming from the hiss of candle wax as it splashed down into the hardened puddle on the base of its holder from the top. Her eyes traveled over the bold red armour that covered his body like a turtle shell gleaming softly in the candle light. _'His eyes are so cold.'_ She shifted to the end of the bed slightly, wishing to God she had the dagger in her hand. Something about him set her off and made her skin crawl; perhaps it was the fact that she felt that he wasn't beyond causing pain to someone. 

"What are you running from?" he sneered as he rose with a mocking smile. 

"Nothing." she spat more forcefully than she intended. "I have nothing to fear from a half developed wimp like you, who needs armour to protect himself." 

His eyes narrowed slightly before he started forward with a deliberate intent in his steps. "Aren't we a good one to talk. Do you really think that you can protect yourself from me?" 

Tara eased herself off the bed and found herself circling the man in front of her slowly, her eyes never leaving her dagger. She placed the bed between him and her, their eyes never leaving each others. She recoiled slightly as he leaned forward and touched her hair gently; she would not let herself show fear to anyone like this. 

"It's just like fire. . ." he whispered softly, to himself almost, as his gloved fingers caressed the strands. 

"Don't touch me." Tara hissed slapping his hand away as she drew back. "No one gave you that right, you presumptuous fool." 

His eyes narrowed for a spilt second before he laughed. "Me? Presumptuous? That's a good one. First you come charging in on your dragon, and then you cause me hell just because the old man wants you here. I was nearly killed trying to satisfy that fool's desire by that savage dragon!" 

Tara edged back as she watched him worked himself up, a cruel sort of smirk coming to her face. "Glad to help in any way possible, you moron. That's just one less sadist in the world if you ask me. The dragon did have everything going for it." 

"Don't you dare to talk to me this way!" he yelled before he charged forward, the hand with her dagger rising upwards to strike her. 

She bent low ready to feint to the left, her hands curling up into fists. 

"Dilandau, that's enough." 

Tara looked up to see the doorway open, a tall figure silhouetted in the light. She glanced back at the man called Dilandau to see a surprised and dismayed expression on his face. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she lunged forward and grabbed her dagger back from his hand. 

"I believe that this is mine and not yours." she said as she placed it back in the hilt with a possessive thrust. 

Dilandau glared at her before he focused his attention back to the figure in the doorway. "What do you want? First you take Miguel from me and now her? I brought her in, she's under my jurisdiction." 

"Is that what you think?" the shadow stepped in further. "Perhaps you would like to be the one who answers to Emperor Dornkirk if something happens to her? He does consider her to be very valuable and crucial in his plans." 

Tara couldn't help but snicker as Dilandau's already pale face went even whiter, his lips thinning in anger. She smiled at him as he glared back at her before he stalked out of the doorway. 

"You shouldn't antagonize Dilandau in that manner." 

Tara looked up at the shadow before she nodded her head slowly in agreement. "But I don't like him in the slightest. There's just something about him. . ." 

A faint brief laugh echoed around the room. "Most people do agree in that respect." 

Tara didn't reply, the hairs on the back of her neck raised. She didn't know what it was but there was something about this man who stood before her cloaked in the dark; something familiar. 

"May I ask why you were riding a dragon. . ." 

"Tara." she said in a whisper. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"Never mind." she said shaking her head. _'Your imagination is starting to get the best of you. There's no way in hell that you could possibly know the person in front of you.' _

"Why were you riding a dragon Tara?" 

Tara regarded the man for a few minutes before she sat back down on the bed. "I have my reasons as to why I was. You don't need to know them at the moment." 

"So you are the girl from the Fanalian forests." 

"What?! How did you know? Have you been spying on me?" she said as she started with shocked anger. 

"We have been keeping track of your movements in Fanalia. When you came to the coast, we lost track of you. We had heard rumors of a fire haired girl with wings." 

"How nice to see that I garner your exclusive interest. But I do not have wings." she said in a slightly sarcastic voice._'You have to think twice if you think that I'd tell you some like that immediately.'_ She pegged him with a hard look. "What do you want with me?" 

"We want to know where you came from and why you're here in Gaea." 

Tara paused hearing a certain tone in his voice. "And why should I be inclined to tell you anything at all? After what that idiot did in here?" 

"There are less pleasant methods that can be used to find out the information." he said in a soft voice. 

"Is that a threat?" 

"No. Do you remember when you attacked those men in the room when they injected you with the sedative?" 

"Yes." she said warily. "What do they have to do with it?" 

"Everything. They feel that I am incapable of conducting this investigation and unless I produce results, the task will fall to them. I am sure that you don't want to be under their 'tender' care." 

An involuntary shiver passed over her as she rubbed her arms. "Was it you there in that room that talked to me?" 

"Yes. I don't condone their methods of obtaining information from people. Or what they do to them." 

"Why; what do they do?" 

"Things you don't wish to hear about." he paused for a minute. "There are things about Zaibach that you don't want to know or be exposed to." 

"Then I thank you for your concern." she said in a small voice as her mind raced. _'So now I am a prisoner and I can't leave I can't leave this forsaken castle of steel and bolts.'_

"This is to be your room until the interrogation is finished. If you need anything simply push this button here." 

Tara glanced at the pad the man motioned to before she looked back at him. "Why are you hiding in the shadows? Are you afraid to show your face?" 

"I am not afraid Tara." 

"Then step forward and tell me your name." 

The man stepped forwards slightly, the lower half of his face becoming visible. "My name is Folken. Folken Lacour de Fanel if you want to know my full name." his lips curled into a slight smile. 

"Tara Leigh O'Malley." she said as she crossed her arms with a smirk. "Now step into the light so I can at least see the face of my captor." 

The smirk disappeared from her face as the man's face came into full view. Those same strange coloured orbs found hers, the bottomless maroon depths holding her. She swallowed hard as the blood ran from her face, leaving it a sickly pale colour in the light. 

"Are you all right?" Folken asked, taking a step forward as the smile vanished. 

"It's you." she breathed in a strained voice. "The one with the wings." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I think she's waking up now." 

Storm opened her eyes to find the room dark and shadowed heavily. She blinked blearily as she peeked out from underneath the cloth to see the pillow. "Jeez, Tara, can't you give me five more minutes? There's not much to do today. And I don't wanna go shopping for a dress again. Besides, my head hurts a bit. I. . .had. . .the freakiest. . .dream. . ." she burrowed back beneath the covers and started to drift off again. 

"Come on Storm, you have to wake up now. Millerna wants to check your leg and there's someone here to talk to you." 

Storm paused as her shoulder was shaken gently with a strong sure touch. That wasn't Tara's hand, it was definitely more masculine. And that voice was the one she heard in her dream; or was it even a dream? She pulled back the covers to find herself looking at tousled black hair and concerned maroon eyes. 

"What the. . .no one has that colour for eyes." she muttered as she turned over. "Man, what the hell did I have last night?" 

"About a full bottle of liquor that should have floored you." came an oddly bubbly voice. 

Storm sat up and peered into the darkness. The man with tousled black hair sat on the bedside beside her and a blonde woman with a gentle smile on her face. She blinked puzzled as she looked between them. Then she spied yet another figure that was walking to the window. 

"Now that she's up, we can talk to her." the words were followed by the harsh intrusion of bright sunlight. 

"God fucking damnit!" she cursed as she shielded her eyes. "Who's damn fucking bright idea was it to open the drapes?!" 

"Allen, what do you think you're doing? She has a massive hangover!" 

"Damn straight!" Storm added as she lowered her hand slightly. "Ow. . .my head. My kingdom for an aspirin." 

"Here, have this." 

She took the glass that was placed in her hand and took a large gulp. She promptly coughed as she gave the glass a baleful glare. "What the hell is in this stuff Van?" 

"It's an anti-hangover cure." he took the glass from her. "How's your head now?" 

"Less pounding. . .less light induced pain." she flicked Allen a look before she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Well, it's nice to know that I am not dreaming. Why on Earth did I drink that whole bottle?" 

"You technically weren't supposed to." Millerna said as she came over to the bed. "How's your leg feeling?" 

"A bit sore and there's this dull throbbing where the fractures were. But that's normal. . .I hope." 

"It is." Millerna said with a smile. "Now this fool here wants to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?" 

Storm paused as she opened her eyes and looked up at Allen. "Yeah sure, whatever." 

She didn't say anything as Van got up and moved from the side of the bed, allowing Allen to fill the space. She braced herself as the bed sank with his weight, the long blonde hair brushing against her hand. _'Sheesh.'_

"Here's your hair." she said in a quiet voice as she brushed it away from her. 

Allen simply smiled and moved it aside. "How are you feeling?" 

"Fine." she said, trying to ignore the sudden flutter in her stomach. Almost guiltily she glanced up at Millerna and Van, as if she was in trouble. 

"Van tells me that you underwent the resetting very well." 

She gave a seemingly nonchalant shrug before she clasped her hands and focused on them. 

"I saw the fight you and your friend put up; very admirable. As well as how you handled that blade of yours even if it was for a brief moment." 

Still Storm didn't move, unwilling to look Allen in the eye. "How about you cut the crap and ask me what you really want to know? I'm not stupid; you, and Van, want to know why I was riding that dragon, don't you?" 

A hesitant and collective sigh went up before Allen spoke again. "Why were you?" 

Storm didn't say anything for a few minutes. "I just was. Leave it at that." her hand rubbed against her hip, longing for the comforting touch of her sword hilt. 

"Do you have an itch there?" Millerna asked stepping forward. 

"Huh?" she looked up startled. "No, I don't. I just miss my sword, that's all." 

"Your sword?" Allen and Van asked at the same time. 

"Yes. That's all I have left of home. That and these beat up clothes that I am wearing." 

"And where's your home?" Allen asked gently. "We can take you back there when your leg heals." 

"My home?" she repeated slowly, struggling to remember. "I. . .I don't know." she said with a frown; it was as if there was a sudden curtain in her memories that wouldn't allow her past a certain point. 

"That's all right; the impact must have caused a temporary amnesia. You'll have your memories back in no time." 

"Yeah, that's it." Storm replied in a distracted voice. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to tell them that she already didn't have any memory before the cave in Fanalia. "I'm sure it will come back in no time. 

"But in the meantime, you're staying here. I want to make sure that your leg heals clean and. . ." 

Storm tuned out the rest of Millerna's words as she reached for her crutches and walked to the window. Already her eyes were drawn to the large shapes that sat on the edge of the faraway cliff, like large, precariously perched, boulders. She couldn't help but smile as the supposed rocks suddenly sprouted wings and flapped them a few times before they disappeared into the hardened shapes. 

"They're still there. They're waiting." she said in a quiet, barely heard, voice. 

"What did you say?" Van asked as he came to her side. 

"They're waiting. Can't you see them there?" she said as she placed her hand against the warm glass. 

"Yeah. They haven't moved at all since two days ago." he replied as he looked out also. "Everyone's afraid that they're going to attack." 

_'I've been asleep for two whole days. . . '_ Storm shook her head as she turned away and walked back to the bed. "They won't. They haven't been provoked." 

"I beg your pardon?" Millerna asked as she stopped somewhere in her litany. 

"Nothing." Storm said as she settled herself back down on the bed. "Do you think I could get something to eat perhaps? Just some soup; if I eat anything else, I may hurl." she paused seeing the lost expressions on everyone's face. "I might throw up." 

"Oh, well we can't have that. I'll bring you back a light meal. Someone, I could use your help with this." 

Van cast her a look before she nodded her head. He gave her a momentary smile before he followed after Millerna, leaving her and Allen in the room alone. She didn't say anything as he walked over to the window and gazed out. 

"Are you a spy?" 

Her head snapped up at the abrupt words. "What kind of question is that? I am not a spy. If I was a spy, I would have to say that I did a pretty pathetic job." 

Allen looked back at her and smiled suddenly. Storm found her stomach doing the same thing again. _'At least my face isn't going red. Thank God for small mercies.'_ She started to play with the edge of the blanket before she looked back up at him. 

"What exactly are you still doing here?" 

"The fact of the matter is we don't know where you stand. Someone has to make sure that you don't escape." 

"How very thoughtful." she murmured as she stilled her hands. Reaching over she took her dagger and hilt, toying with it in her hands. "But I don't think that I'll be going anywhere anytime soon." she gave him a knowing look. 

Allen didn't say anything as he simply nodded his head and walked out. 

"If you need anything," he said as he paused at the door. "I'll be right here until Van and Millerna come back." 

She simply nodded before motioning for him to leave with a wave of her hand. With a heavy sigh, she got up and made her way back to the window. Carefully, she opened the windows, glad to feel the brisk sea breeze on her face. The scene before her was pleasant enough; the market was bustling with people going about their business, small children scampering around underfoot. Wagons trundled over bridges coming into and out of the city, loaded down with goods. Her gaze shifted to the marina, the ships by the docks, sails waiting to be filled by the wind to head out to the sea. _'The sea. . .'_ She felt her stomach take a turn as she remembered her fall to the ground the last thing she saw was Tara being pitched from Cork's back and falling like a ton of brick to splash into the water. That was when she hit and blacked out momentarily. _'Tara. . .'_ She turned away from the window and shut it; suddenly she didn't feel very hungry. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


	6. Six

A/N: Gomen minna-san!! Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen!! This chapter took the longest by far. School started and then my rodent died, no thanks to my bakana otouto and I had to wait forever for a new one! Then the job hunting *don't even ask about that* and killing myself over university. But enough about me. It's finally here! Enjoy! 

_Chapter Six_

With a sigh, Storm looked up at the patches of sky from beneath the tree. Light patches of wispy white clouds passed by quickly, a breeze, tugging her hair into her face. Storm rose awkwardly with an angry mumble starting towards the doorway. 

"Where are you going Storm?" 

She gave an exasperated sigh, more at herself than at Van. "I'm going to find something to do. I can't just sit around and watch you spar with Allen all day." she didn't even bother to look at Van's partner. 

"It would be best of you stayed off your leg as much as possible." Allen said. "It does need-" 

"Yes I know it needs to heal." she said in an exasperated voice. "Sorry. But seriously, I have done absolutely nothing for almost a week while I enjoy your hospitality and it is starting to drive me ballistic!" she smacked her head at their clueless expressions. "I will go crazy unless you have me doing something else other than sitting around." 

"And we need to practice. Once we're done here, we can do whatever you want." Van said as he turned back to Allen. 

"If you think that I am going to sit here for another minute, you have another thing coming." Storm said in a somewhat huffy voice. 

"You can't wait another hour?" Allen gave her a look. "Why are you so cranky?" 

"I am not cranky." Storm said in a slightly petulant voice as she seated herself back down on the bench. _'I just want my sword with me. . .I need to feel some sort of hilt in my hand.'_ She watched as Van and Allen were doing their usual thing, the clang of swords echoing out over the small courtyard. _'Ah. . .'_ Managing to rise up, she made her way over to the other side where a spare sword leaned against the wall, still in its sheath. She drew a bit out slowly, watching as the sun winked off of the bright metal. She went back to her seat, the sword in her hands. She drew the entire length slowly, turning it from side to side, smiling as the sun winked off. Her eyes glanced up to see a lone leaf falling drifting down from the tree. Taking a firm hold of the hilt, she brought the sword down on it. The halves curled away before resuming their descent; the smile disappeared from her face as she focused and continued slicing at the leaf. 

"Storm. . .what are you doing?" 

She finished the stroke before she looked up to see Allen and Van looking at her curiously. "Not much. Are you two done now? I would like to take a walk." 

"Alright. But you could give Allen his sword back." Van said with a smile. 

"Oh. Sorry." she handed it back to him before she stood up surprisingly fast for someone on crutches. "I didn't mean to-" 

"It's all right." Allen said with a wave of his hand, dismissing it. 

"I have to admit though, I haven't seen anyone do that with a sword before." Van murmured thoughtfully. 

Storm frowned, feeling the queer fluttering in her stomach once more. "Let's get going. My muscles are a bit stiff from so much sitting around." she said as she started off, her feet breaking through the small pile of shredded leaf on the ground. 

"Where did you learn to use a sword like that?" Van asked as they made their way down the pathway. "It seemed like you used one all your life." 

"I. . ." Storm paused as she tried to recall but found the same block that she had for the past few days. "I guess so. Van, I apologize for snapping at you. But I do need something to do instead of following you around as you do things." 

"We could make you work." 

"Don't tell Millerna." Storm said suddenly, jumping on the idea. "It would keep me occupied and not cranky. Give me something and I'll do it." 

"Well, now that we solved that problem. . ." Van chuckled as they rounded the corner. 

Storm smiled, glancing back at the courtyard. Allen still stood there, watching them as they left. She found herself meeting his blue eyed gaze before she finally started walking again. An involuntary shiver passed over her. _'I know he means no harm. . .but what is he searching for from me?'_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rubbing her eyes, Tara started at the lone candle that guttered in the room. She hadn't slept much since Folken had left her in what she had fondly called her hellhole. Every so often, she could hear Dilandau's voice outside, demanding to be let in and refused time and time again. 

_'Psycho. . .'_ She twisted around in her now lumpy bed, leaning back against the wall. 'What makes him think that I would hesitate with a dagger in my hand?' She took out said object, twirling it on the tip of her finger, the sharp point barely pressing into her skin. 

"Is she still in there?" 

Tara looked up at the sound of a far different voice. _'Now what; someone else wants to share in my hospitality?'_ She glanced over at the candle warily; so many times she had wanted to put it out, sick of seeing the bright orange blue-based flame sway from side to side but she wasn't exactly fond of the dark. 

"Get her out of there. Now." 

She smiled faintly at the somewhat imperial tone in the voice. _'There's one person you don't want to mess with.'_ She rose slightly as the door slid open, melting in the shadows in the corner. 

"Tara? Are you in here?" 

"What's it to you? Come to mock and taunt me also?" she snarled in a somewhat vicious voice; that façade had kept away plenty of gawkers who came to see 'The Dragon Girl'. 

"No. I came to release you from here. A room has been prepared for your comfort Mistress." 

"Mistress? That's a rich one." she glowered out at the slip of a girl who now looked meek and submissive. "Get lost; I don't need your snarky remarks. Oh yes, I am a Mistress; the Mistress of dirty bed linens and psycho stalkers." a glance outside proved that her admirer was back, watching the events with a cold neutrality. 

"Come now Mistress." the girl said with a smile. "I am to be your servant and you are to take your place. Surely you cannot-" 

"So what's this I see?" Dilandau slid into the room easily as the girl stepped aside uneasily. "You found a way out of here?" 

"That's none of your business Dilandau." she retorted venomously. "I never asked to see your scrawny frame around here." 

He didn't say anything, watching the candle with an abstract gaze before his eyes snapped back to her. "Aren't we a good one to talk. Just how did you get out of here anyways?" 

Tara curled her hand into a fist at the sneering tone in his voice. She stalked up to him, looking him straight in the eye. "And I would tell the likes of you? I think not?" 

"So how did you then? Perhaps you did Folken . . .favour?" 

Tara flet her blod boil at the insinuation he left dangling in front of her like bait. She dug her nails deep into her flesh as she struggled to not let something fly at him. He seemed to enjoy tormenting her far too much. 

"Oh, so that's it, is it?" he gave her a scornful look. "You had the look of one." 

She bit down hard on her lip, the coppery tang of blood seeping onto her tongue. It surely wouldn't go over well if she killed someone after being a prisoner for a week. She wasn't even sure if she had that capacity in her but the way Dilandau was going, he would be a dead man. 

"What? Can't say anything to defend yourself?" he patted her face gently with a condescending manner. "Or maybe you're a silent type. I like those." 

"You disgusting pig!" she spat as she brought her hand up like a leap of fire connecting with his face. "How dare you accuse me of such when you yourself are highly questionable! You come in here and harass me to no fucking end just so you can get your perverse pleasure out of it?! I think you're disgusting and should be-" 

"Let's go Mistress." the girl took her hand and led her out quickly. "Lord Dilandau will be very angry with you." 

"Let him be, the chauvinistic bastard." Tara muttered to herself as she allowed herself to be taken away; perhaps it wasn't in her capacity. 

"But now Lord Dilandau will be thoroughly angered at you Mistress. You scarred his face in there; I do recognize those kinds of wounds. And he is a vain man. . ." 

"Wounds? What wounds?" Tara asked with the first bit or true puzzlement. 

The girl didn't say anything, holding up one of Tara's hands. Right beneath the nail and on top of it was blood, gleaming in the hallway light. Tara didn't say anything for a few minutes. 

"Then maybe he will learn not to play with fire." 

The girl simply shook her head as she hurried down the hallway, finally leading Tara to a doorway in what was obviously the officers' quarters. She walked in as the door opened, finding herself rather surprised and the simple elegant comforts of the room. She turned back to the girl with a questioning look on her face. 

"Yes, this is your room for as long as you are with us." she said, catching the expression of disbelief in Tara's eyes. "I believe it would be best of you didn't leave your room for a bit. Not until other things have been straightened out. I'll come back with your dinner." 

"Who did all this for me?" she asked in a soft voice. "Why would they bother?" she paused as a thought struck her. "Did Folken do this?" 

The girl shook her head with a smile. "Not Lord Folken, but I would expect no less of her. She is your mother after all." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bits and pieces of bolts and nuts lay strewn around with a few pegs in the mix. Storm turned the piece over in her hands, trying to see where the problem was. A frown came to her lips as she heard a hammer come crashing down onto the ground. She looked up to see a somewhat sheep faced mechanic, pick it up and scurry back to his job. _'Heh. . .makes me glad I'm sitting at this table.'_ She sighed as she turned back to her task, giving the piece a small shake. 

"Oh. . .so there's a loose piece in there." she said with a hint of smugness in her voice. "I'll show you." 

She carefully took apart the part and reattached the loose spring before quickly reassembling it. Getting herself up, she walked over to where Van was busy sharpening his sword. 

"All done." 

He looked up at her. "Already? What was wrong with it?" 

"Spring was loose." she shrugged. "So where exactly does this go in this huge thing anyways?" she gestured to the large white machine behind him. 

"It doesn't go in this guymelef." Van said as he rose. "It goes in Allen's. Glad to be keeping busy?" 

"Yes, very much." she said. "You go back to sharpening the sword. You have a lot of it to cover." 

Van gave something of a grimace before he nodded. "Perhaps, maybe, when this is all over. . ." he trailed off, sounding unsure of himself. 

"Yeah?" 

"Never mind." he said with a somewhat troubled look on his face. "It was nothing." he bent back over his task, the grinding sound of the whetstone grating against her ears. 

Shrugging it off, Storm made her way through the general noise and clatter finally finding Allen in front of a massive blackish blue. . . _'Guymelef. . .that's what Van called it.'_ She walked up behind them, waiting patiently for Allen and his friend to finish their conversation. 

"We have to leave soon Commander. Whatever it is you're planning to do, I suggest you do it soon. Once the repairs are done, we're out of here." 

"I know Gadeth. But I wasn't anticipating that the repairs would take this long." Allen sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Call me when the repairs are done." 

"Yes Commander." 

Storm stepped back as Allen turned around suddenly surprise flashing across his face. "Sorry. I came to give this back." 

"So that where this part disappeared to." Gadeth said with a smile as he plucked it from her hand. "Thanks." 

Storm gave a small half smile before she turned to walk away when Allen's voice stopped her. 

"May I talk to you for a minute?" 

She looked back at him, a fleeting sensation of uncertainty running through her before she nodded and started walking. They made their way out of the general noise of the repair hangar and down to the dock paths. She didn't say anything, watching the vibrant colour and life swirl past her; she was very glad to be doing something else with her time and not simply sitting around the castle. A frown came to her face as she saw a crowd of people being herded onto a ship, the men with whips not hesitating to use them. The one who was at the top of the gangplank seemed strangely familiar. She walked closer, wanting to see his face. 

"You shouldn't be seeing this." Allen said as he walked closer to her. 

Storm didn't reply as she started up at the man. He finally looked down at the scene, jumping when his eyes rested on her. Even from her far distance, she could see his face pale visibly before he vanished away. With a disgusted snort, she continued one, a somewhat sour mood taking over. When they finally reached a quiet spot down the beach, Storm sat down on the fine sand, letting the water lap at her bare foot. 

"What was that about?" Allen asked as he sat beside her. 

She simply shrugged, not willing to answer his question. Even she wasn't sure but that man had seemed do familiar. Allen gave something of a weary sigh before he spoke once more. 

"Why do you hate me?" 

"I don't hate you." she replied. "I'm wary of you, yes. But hate you no. Besides, hate is a very strong word. I don't use that lightly." 

"You didn't leave me much else to think." Allen remained silent for a few minutes. "I apologize for opening the curtains." 

She waved it away. "I drank too much. You thought I was fine. You don't have to apologize for anything. If anything I should be apologizing to myself; my liver isn't going to thank me for that." 

"Hm." Allen said in an ambiguous response. "Where did you learn to use a sword like that?" 

"I told you I don't know." she shrugged. "Millerna said I might have partial amnesia, remember?" 

"I remember. You've used it all your life." he stated a fact. 

"I guess so. I don't recall making salads out of a leaf before but it indicates something I believe." 

"I think so too. And that's why I want to ask you something." 

"What?" she finally looked over at him. 

"We could use another sword like yours." 

"We?" she was puzzled now. "What do you mean by 'we'?" 

"The crew of the Crusade." 

"Allen, are you saying that you want-" 

"Yes. I want you to join my crew." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


	7. Seven

_Chapter Seven_

"Mistress, it is time for you to eat. Wake up Mistress." 

Tara opened a bleary eye to see the girl standing a few feet away, a tray on the table behind her. "Go away, I am not hungry." she promptly turned over and pulled the blankets over her head. 

All she wanted to do was sleep. That was all she could really do in this room here; she didn't wander very far, not wishing to bump into Dilandau or Folken once again. 

"Come now, you must be a bit hungry." 

She frowned as felt her stomach grumble slightly. "I'll live. I just want to sleep." 

"That's all you've done for the past week. Time for you to get up." 

"Fine, fine." she sat up, running a hand through her hair. "But I am not hungry. I've been meaning to ask, what's your name anyways? " 

"My name?" the girl paused. "My name is Aurelia." 

"All right then Aurelia, do me a favour and let me go and do something. What am I supposed to do? Just sit here like a fool? Better yet, you can go; I don't need a servant." 

"I can't do that Mistress. I was asked to come and attend to you specifically." Aurelia paused. "Do you really wish for me to go?" 

Tara started at the tray for a minute before she rose from the bed. "I don't know really. But if you are going to insist on staying, then don't call me Mistress when we're alone like this. It really does bother me." 

"Very well then Mi...Tara. Shall you eat now?" 

"Since you keep hassling me about it..." she sat down at the table. "Perhaps later I shall take a walk around and get a closer look at things." 

"That is an excellent idea." Aurelia beamed as she took the cover off of the tray. "I can escort you to wherever you wish to go." 

Tara smiled as she picked up the fork. She was just about to take a bite when she glimpsed a white edge poking out from underneath the plate. "What's that?" 

"What's what?" Aurelia asked in curious voice. 

"This." Tara pulled it out from beneath the plate. "It's a letter of some sort, sealed with a wax." 

"May I?" Aurelia took it from her, inspecting the red seal. "I'll take this for you Mistress. It's nothing more than trash." 

Tara gave her a doubtful look before she shrugged and turned back to her meal. _'I wonder who sent it.'_ She ate slowly, watching as her servant ducked out of the room for a few minutes, needing to take care of something. Her eyes wandered to where the folded paper sat on top of a pile of dirty laundry to be taken out of the room. Pushing away from the table, she walked over, picking her dagger up along the way. 

"Now let's see who decided to write me a little something." she muttered as she slit it open and started to read. 

Her eyes skimmed over the page as she flipped the blade over in her hand. _'So...'_ A disdainful cruel smirk came to her lips as she held her blade tip over the nearby candle and resealed the wax. _'I think I shall have to have a 'talk' with him when I am done here.'_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The gentle sounds of the waves came up from the beach as she gazed down almost sadly. Every once in awhile, she would look up at the faraway cliff; the familiar shapes of the dragons were still there, now in a silent vigil until they came back. Their bulk was emphasized even more by the sun starting to sink behind the clouds; she had been here almost all day. 

"Even then, I still have to consider what Allen asked me." she murmured to herself as she pulled up some straggling blades of grass. "But why does it. . ." 

She gave a disgusted sigh, flinging the grass away down over the precipice of the small cliff. She watched as they drifted down the few feet, a sharp green against the beige-white of the sands. She didn't know why but there was something about Allen's request that troubled her; the implication of violence there was unmistakable. She had seen how badly the ship had been banged up, and something like that could only have stemmed from a fight. She gave a sigh as she rose and walked off, crutches in her hand. 

"When I get back, I'll talk to Millerna about taking off this wretched splint. It's been doing nothing but hampering me for the past week. My leg is perfectly fine now." 

She looked around before she bent her knee and banged her heel against the ground hard; not even a flicker of pain traveled up her bones. The only thing she could chalk it up to was the disgusting amount of rest that she had gotten. Off in the distance, as the tiny cliff descended into a hill, she could see the figures of Millerna and her courtiers down at the beach edge, enjoying a moment of tranquility. 

She promptly took out her crutches and began to use them. Making her way towards the palace, she was hoping to make it unnoticed but when she heard her name being shouted, she had no choice but to turn and see Millerna come running up to her. 

"There you are Storm. Allen said he saw you walking out here earlier." 

"Did he?" she asked with the faintest tone of curiosity. "Did he want something from me?" 

"No. How's your leg feeling? You need about two more weeks with it." 

"Oh, my leg is doing fine. Perhaps you could take the splints off. . ." 

Millerna laughed in a somewhat high pitched affair that made Storm wince imperceptibly. "You're kind of funny in a naive way. There's no way that the splints can come off now. You'll just be asking to break your leg again." 

"Yes, foolish me." she said managing a smile on her face. "I've had enough of fresh air. I'm heading back to make myself useful." 

"All right then. But I want you to take it easy." 

She nodded before she shooed Millerna back towards the beach. She started towards the castle, grumbling to herself. She made her way around to the large space in the back, where the airship was anchored down. On one side was the white guymelef and on the other, the black one. _'Hm.'_ She stood there for a few minutes, looking between the two suits before she spied Allen's familiar blonde figure, seated away in a dark pocket of shadow. 

"Hi Allen." she said, making her way up to him. 

"Storm," he looked up at her startled, his hand snapping something close immediately. "I didn't hear you." 

"You didn't hear me clunking my way across here?" she asked with a genuine smile of mirth. "Just what are you contemplating?" 

"Nothing; my concerns are not your troubles." he said rising as he tucked the rectangle away. "Did Millerna check on you today?" 

"Nope. Neither did Van. I told him to get lost. I wanted the day to myself to think about things. Well, things that are immediate and that I can remember." 

"Such as?" Allen asked, leaning back slightly against the thick rope. 

"Things. All I can remember are these four lines that keep popping into my head. They just won't go away." 

"Four lines? Are you dwelling on something a bit too much?" 

She couldn't help but smile at his play upon her words. "Well, what were they? Ah yes, I remember now." she cleared her throat before she started. "Those blue eyes. Beautiful foolishness, I believed everything about you, was a miracle*." 

"Very poetic." he said with a nod of his head. 

_'There it is again.'_ She only remained silent as her stomach did its weird fluttering again. "Maybe I should eat something. . ." she muttered once it calmed down. 

"You haven't eaten yet?" 

"No. I haven't eaten anything actually. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I'm going to go and see about getting something to eat." 

She started off quickly when she spied Allen's figure coming behind her from the corner of her eye. Storm simply glanced at him as he fell in step beside her. 

"I haven't eaten either." 

She started to smile but stopped as her gut suddenly started to twist upon itself violently. It felt like she suddenly had massive cramps. She paused, holding her side. A somewhat overwhelming sense of inevitable dread over came her she her brow furrowed in an effort to banish the feeling away. 

"Are you all right?" Allen asked as he helped her straighten up. 

"Yes, I am fine." she said in a somewhat breathless voice; where had that come from? "Maybe I should have eaten something earlier; my stomach is starting to wage war on me." 

Allen gave a smile at her humor before his eyes fixed on something. "That's an interesting necklace you have there." 

"Hm? This thing?" she looked down at the pink bauble. "It's nothing. It was given to me by someone close." 

"A lover?" 

"A friend." she said in something akin to sadness. "I don't think I could ever be bothered with love. Food is another story however." 

Allen didn't say anything, simply taking the necklace up to inspect it closer before he left it to rest in its usual home. She cleared her throat before she started walking once more. Before they walked inside, she paused to look back at the sunset. An involuntary shiver passed through her as the sky was alight with reds and oranges, the clouds passing by like smudges of dark ash. _'It looks like fire.'_ She turned as Allen pulled her in gently; there was nothing to worry about. She would be gone by tonight anyhow, and Esturia would only be something to remember. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tara gazed up at the massive red machines that stood in the hangar area, waiting for the command to go flying to wherever to do what was ordered of them. She took a hesitant step forward, almost in awe of the giants. Walking up to one, she ran a hand against the glossy surface; she could almost sense the mechanics behind them which made them run and do terrible or great things. 

"It's almost like. . ."she shook her head as she continued to walk around the massive foot, hand never breaking contact with the shell. "But it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case." 

She remained standing there, enjoying the sight of the machinery around her. This, by far, had to be one of the better highlights of her day, plus Aurelia wasn't around. _'Not yet anyways. . .'_ She chuckled with amusement to herself as she remember how she slipped away when she wasn't looking and proceed to go off by herself. 

"Yes Lord Dilandau," the voice was followed by the sound of footsteps against the floor. "The preparations are almost completed. We can leave after sunset." 

Tara looked up as the figures came in just as she ducked behind a leg. It would seem that she was somewhere she shouldn't be. _'Just what is going on anyways?'_ She peered out from her hiding spot to see Dilandau talking to who appeared to be a few of his men. 

"Excellent. We'll flush them out tonight and Esturia will fall tonight." 

_'Esturia? Why are they after Esturia?'_ Her face went grim at the sound of delight in Dilandau's voice. _'Bleedin' sadist. . .'_ She watched as Dilandau paced around for a bit before he faced his men once more. 

"Make sure everything is in working order. I want nothing to go wrong when we get down there. Absolutely nothing." 

Tara felt goose bumps run over her skin at the tone in his voice, her stomach twisting upon itself in fear. There was absolutely no remorse in his voice what so ever. _'That city is going to burn...and there's no way I can help her this time.'_

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" 

She turned to find herself facing a flustered soldier who tried his best to look intimidating. Giving him a withering scowl, she walked out from her hiding spot. Dilandau turned as he heard the words. He crossed his arms with something of a cocky smirk, the scabs from her slap running across his right cheek in vivid thin lines. 

"Have you decided to grace yourself with my presence?" 

She didn't say anything as she simply stared at him. After a few minutes, she took out the letter that had sat in her pocket all day and held it up before him, allowing him to get a good look at the seal. Then she promptly ripped it in half, leaving the pieces to flutter to the ground at his feet. She didn't wait to see his reaction as she strode away, a sick feeling suddenly taking hold in her stomach. Making outside, she leaned heavily against the wall, head bent, struggling to keep her bile down before it rose up to much. _'Storm, just don't get killed.'_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Storm stared up at the blank white ceiling of her room, the moonlight from the large window, before she sat up in the bed. Throwing back the covers, she started to undo the bandages from around her leg; the splints were the next thing to go, virtually being lifted out of grooves in her flesh. Sliding out of the bed, she walked around the room experimentally before she did a few laps around it. 

"Good as new." she said with a smile as she walked to the window and opened it. "Brrr...it's slightly chilly tonight." 

Ignoring that, she leaned out slightly trying to find a foothold to a close ledge. She spotted it a few feet away, making her place her feet on the icy ledge. Edging her way out, she placed her foot on it before she found herself virtually plastered against the wall now feet away from her window. 

"Oh, you dumbass." she groaned, leaning her head against the wall. "Why didn't you just tie the sheets together and shimmy down them?" 

She grumbled her inactive mind all the way down until she made it onto a parapet, she ran along the tops until she found another place to climb down. It took her at least a full hour, but she had made her way down to the courtyard inside. 

"Now the easy part." she thought with a grin as she started walking. 

Stealing through the gardens was easy enough; there was enough cover from the trees, shrubs and large statues. Her real challenge came when the open stretch of twelve feet lay before her; and she was not the best runner. Stretching as silently as she could, she placed herself in the launch position; at least this way, she could gain some of the speed she would desperately need. 

She started off with some speed that rapidly dwindled away, leaving her running at what seemed to be a sluggish pace. Her heart started to beat even faster; she could hear voices from behind her. Adrenaline did the rest for her, making her feet pump faster. She ducked behind the alcove breathing hard as the voices now entered the courtyard. _'That was close.'_ A sigh of relief was breathed and she continued on, making her way down to the beach unnoticed. 

"Finally out where I don't have to answer to anyone." she said in a quiet voice. "Absolutely no one." 

She started running, as a sudden intoxicating feeling burst out from her; it seemed like she had been in that castle forever. The sand kicked up behind her in tiny sprays, the water almost touching her feet. She almost felt like a bird, able to fly away to the skies and never look back. 

When she started up the hill, she paused to look back at Esturia, the lights in the homes of it citizens glowing through the windows like a postcard. Storm frowned slightly before she continued up. _'Postcard...whatever the hell that is.'_ From her vantage point, she could see the amorphous shapes of the dragons, perched like gargoyles. She gave a slight giggle, causing on of their head to turn, the eyes glowing demon-like in the light. 

"It's only me silly." she called up. 

The effect was instantaneous. Both dragons took flight at the same time, flying down to her, sniffing suspiciously. She laughed as their muzzles pressed into her stomach and behind her knees. 

"I'm all right, would you stop already! I'm ticklish!" 

Cork and Glide left off, but still crouched around her protectively. She scratched them both on the muzzle with a smile. 

"Yeah, I missed you guys also. What do you want now Cork?" she asked as the dragon pushed its head against her once more. 

She looked to see if there was a problem; there hanging from its jaw was her sword, the gold hilt gleaming dully. She disentangled it from his teeth, drawing the blade and looking it over; still as sharp as ever when she tested the edge against the fingertip; it did draw a tiny bead of blood. 

"Well are you guys ready to go and stage a rescue? We have to start searching for Tara." she asked as she buckled the sword back onto her hips. 

She looked up sharply as Glide and Cork growled suddenly, their pupils closing to narrow black slits. Storm stroked their muzzles in an effort to get them to calm down. There must have been something that set them on edge, but she couldn't see it. 

"What's there you two?" she asked in a whisper; her stomach was making the same twisting that had made her eat very little. "What can't I see?" 

She followed their line of sight; they were gazing right down at Esturia. _'What could be down there in Esturia?'_ Her hand closed around her hilt instinctively; the dragons wouldn't be like this for no apparent reason. 

"Ah." she said as she felt Glide's wing muscles twitch. "Wait and see; then we can act if need be." 

Both gave a discontent growl as they settled themselves down, coiled like springs. Nothing really prepared her for when a loud crash came from one of the city's sections. Large clouds of smoke billowed out, masking the attackers. 

"Oh dear Gods..." she gasped as she caught a gleam of red for a split second. The dragons nudged her again insistently but she shook her head. "We have to wait. I have the feeling jumping in like that wouldn't be a good idea." 

She steeled herself, watching as the red guymelefs made their way through the city, snatches of red visible to her eyes. It took a smack from her this time around as the dragons twitched to leave once more, Esturia's guymelefs coming out to defend the city, a white and black one in the mix. Watching was hard enough but the final straw came as she saw a guymelef cut down viciously, the spikes from the attackers reducing it to mere scrap. 

"Let's go." she said jumping on Glide. "They obviously need help." 

She tightened her legs around the dragon's neck, as it pumped its powerful wings and took off towards the battle. Glancing over, she saw Cork keeping pace with them, his teeth already clamping. 

"No biting!" she yelled at him. "And try to get a scent. When you do, follow him and don't let up." 

Cork gave a disgusted sort of snort before he veered away, banking to the left easily as he circled around and came in from the south. Glide flew right in, slicing an arm off an enemy's guymelef with unerring aim with sharp claws. Storm braced herself as Glide thudded down with a shattering roar, his tail swishing around, knocking out a few of the legs. The Esturian guymelefs fell back, the few remaining ones, falling into a defensive position around the castle. 

_'Good.'_ Storm thought before she kicked Glide twice. _'Let them get out of the way.'_ The dragon took to the skies once more, a deep sort of rumble starting inside. 

"No! We don't want to burn the city!" Storm yelled at him. "Maim them only!" 

"But I do!" 

She twisted around at the voice to see a red suit materialize right behind them. Kicking Glide again once, he twisted sharply, his tail slamming into the suit and sending it crashing to the ground. _'Him. He's the one that caused this in the first place.'_ She gritted her teeth hard, resisting the urge to tell Glide to fry him to a crisp. 

The guymelef rose, an arm pointed directly at them. When she saw a bright orange gout start from inside a barrel, she dug her heels in; Glide shot forward, missing the beam of flames narrowly. _'All right then; if you wanna play hard ball.'_ She motioned for Glide to head up to a safe vantage point. The dragon listened, the scene before them taking full shape. The suit took aim again, once more at them; then suddenly, Cork was before them, charging straight at the suit that took aim. 

"Cork, no!" she yelled seeing another orange gout. 

The dragon was ready, producing a large gout of flame that clashed against the one that was coming their way. Storm shielded her eyes, not wanting to lose her sight in top of things. When she opened them again, she saw the ruins of the houses burning, and spreading rapidly to the other houses that were still standing. 

"Glide!" she called out loudly. 

The dragon responded, slicing the suit before it to bits before it rose up, bluish coloured flames coming from its jaw. A loud hiss could be heard as the flames were extinguished, thick clouds of steam blanketing their battlefield. 

"Higher Glide." she said, coughing and waving her hands. 

Glide rose above the clouds, his wings beating some of the steam away. Off in the distance, she could see Cork, flying away after his quarry; there was no use in calling him back; she doubted the dragon would listen to her, was out of earshot, even for draconic hearing abilities. 

"Land on the beach Glide." she said in a weary sort of voice. 

The dragon set down a few minutes later and she slid off. She looked back at the city, the clouds of steam starting to dissipate over the remaining homes. She felt almost numb, watching the remains of the destruction that had happened there. _'This wasn't supposed to happen...'_ Feeling a gentle bump against her arm, she looked down to see Glide giving her a somewhat apologetic look. 

"It's not your fault." she whispered, fighting the urge to not cry; why did she suddenly want cry? "We did the best we could...I suppose." 

She sat down, her back towards the town. Glide settled himself down beside her. She didn't move until Glide gave a low growl in his throat. She looked over to see Allen with his crew standing in a loose group, Van just off to the side. She looked at them all before she looked back out to the sea. 

Footsteps came across the sand, crunching slightly. When Allen came and crouched beside her, she still didn't say anything. 

"Storm?" 

"Those blue eyes..." she murmured. "He warned me of things like this." 

"Who did?" Allen asked. 

She didn't respond simply looking out at the sea. 

"Did you wish to stay here in -" 

"No." she said, cutting him off. "I want to go." 

"Did you accept my offer?" 

"Allen, I think it would be best if I stick with you for the meanwhile." 

"All right then." he said, rising and offering her his hand. 

Storm rose also looking at his hand before she turned away and started walking towards Glide. 

"Storm." 

She paused, hearing the demand in his voice; the following silence was thick with tension on his part as well as from everyone else watching. She didn't turn around, but she answered him. "I said I would stick with you, I didn't say I would join." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*These four lines are from the song "Aoi Hitomi" which is from an Escaflowne soundtrack - I can't remember which one - and is in absolutely NO way, my property; it's most likely Kanna Yoko's. And please, if you think I am making money off of this, I'll just laugh at you. I'm so poor I can't even buy Post-it notes to annotate my ISU book. 


	8. Eight

_**From Heaven To Earth**_

Chapter Eight

Tara paced around her room anxiously, not willing to stop. "Why is it taking so long?" 

"Calm down Mistress." Aurelia said, trying to stop her. "When they come back you can ask how it went." 

"That means I have to talk to him; I am not doing that." she growled in the back of her throat. "I don't like this one bit, I really don't" 

"I know you don't Mistress." Aurelia sighed as she gave up and finally sat back down. "But there is nothing you can do for the moment; perhaps a drink would calm your nerves a bit?" 

"I don't want alcohol now." she muttered. "On second thought, where's the bottle." 

Aurelia jumped up, hurrying off and pouring Tara a glass. "You really should calm down Tara; all this worrying can't be any good for your health." 

"Would you be so calm if you knew your best friend could die out there?" she asked in a low mutter as she took the glass and slugged it down in one breath. "I'm not there with her, I don't know what's happening and how's she's coping. I'm all she has left of home Aurelia." 

Silence descended over the room as Tara closed her eyes tightly; she hadn't meant for that much tenseness and worry to come through her voice. She gave a heavy sigh before she turned and faced the girl with a smile. 

"Let's go for a walk; perhaps that will calm me down." 

"This way Mistress. Perhaps you would like to see the room where we train our men?" Aurelia said as they walked out of her quarters and started down the hallway. 

"Sure," she muttered as she started after the girl. "What have I got to lose?" 

"Tara," Aurelia said in a reproaching voice. 

"Look, not everyone can be cheery all the time." Tara said finally. "Today I feel like I am in a piss poor mood, so just leave me be all right?" 

""Um Tara?" Aurelia paused with a confused look on her face. "How can "piss" be in a poor mood? Is "piss" even what I think it is?" 

Tara looked at her with a slightly gaping expression before she shook her head. "Yeah, piss is probably what you think it is." 

She gave a snicker as Aurelia made a horrified face and continued on down the hallway, more silent than before. _'Maybe I should do this every time I'm in a bad mood; she looked so clueless...'_ She shook her head as she started to chew on her fingernail. Maybe she should learn to use a sword, or at least a weapon of some kind; simply slashing wildly with a dagger would only get her killed faster here. Plus she had Dilandau to worry about. 

"Aurelia?" she took her finger away. 

"Yes Tara?" 

"You know how you said that my mother sent you here?" 

"Yes, what about that; you want me to tell you what kind of woman she is?" 

Tara felt her face flush rapidly. "Well, um...you know if it's not too much trouble." 

"It would not be a trouble at all Tara. But she expressly forbade me from talking about her to you. You'll have to wait and see for yourself." 

"Wait and see?" Tara asked, before she chewed on her nail again momentarily. "What do you mean by-" 

Her words were cut off as the floor suddenly lurched sharply, throwing them to the wall. Tara grunted as her shoulder crashed into a corner, before she quickly righted herself. Picking Aurelia up, she looked around now, seeing soldiers streaming out from doors, heading for somewhere. 

"What's going on?" she demanded as she grabbed one's arm before they could run by. 

"The fortress is under attack." he looked her over once before he snatched his arm back and ran down the hallway. 

"You stay here." she said to Aurelia before she headed down after the soldier. 

"Mistress!" Aurelia called, making a motion to rise and come after her. 

"Stay!" Tara ordered sharply as she paused and looked back before she continued on. 

The entire hallway was choked with soldiers racing towards their destination, Tara caught along in the pull. She finally found herself in a large cargo hold, a crowd of battle ready soldiers with ready drawn swords tense and coiled. She took a breath as she looked around, the place now eerily silent. Anxious breaths could be heard, punctuating the silence like drums of war. 

"Where's the enemy?" one close to her whispered. "We heard it in here." 

Tara looked around warily as eyes shifted around trying to seek out the threat. Then they all clapped their hands to their ears as the sound of something grating against the side of the ship came, high-pitched and painful. Tara opened her fingers slightly trying to hear above the pain ricocheting around in her head. 

"This way!" she yelled as she heard the sound go trailing off downwards. "The attackers are moving this way!" 

She didn't wait to see if any followed her; at the moment, she was on the fortress and if it went down, so did she. The sound of running boots behind her didn't stop her, only spurring on her paces. She cocked her ears as she reached a split, seeking the sound. 

"Here." she took off down the right hand side, hearing the scraping sound once more. 

She finally come out into a large hangar, the men behind her, tensed and battle ready. A loud thud came from outside the walls, a massive dent appearing before their very eyes. She glanced back to see the soldiers grip their weapons harder and swallow; their pale faces and throats gleamed with sweat from the lights far ahead. 

"Stay calm and don't lose your heads." she said, falling back closer to them. "You have a better chance of making it out if you stay rational." 

There were murmurs behind her before the doors thudded again, a large hole allowing in a shaft of light that landed right on the main front of the men as well as her. They recoiled, shielding their eyes just as the door burst open. She could barely see; the light got in her eyes. All she saw was a bulky shape land as the men surged forward, cries filling the air. Then she froze as she heard a familiar roar; Cork's roar. 

"No! Stop!" she cried, running forward. "Halt your weapons! Don't-" 

Her voice was lost in the fury as she tripped over a slipped weapon, feet trampling over her. She winced as the treads of the boots dug into her body, threatening to crush ribs and other assorted bones. The roar came once more, followed by the cries of pain from men, as well as on the dragon's part. 

"Stop!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, unable to take it anymore. 

All motion stopped as the men looked back at her, shock on their faces. She rose to her feet, looking around at the wounded men and then at the dragon. Then she faced the rest of the hesitant men. 

"I ordered you to stop." she growled in a less than pleased voice. "Put down your weapons and fall back." 

She gave a sweeping glare that dared any of the men to disobey her. One by one they fell back, swallowing painfully, sheathing their weapons. Starting forward, they parted for her as she made her way over to the large beast. The cerulean eyes glinted fiercely in the light from above as she came closer, the wings flapping shut. She rubbed the muzzle affectionately before she hugged it. Murmurs swelled from all around before she turned back to see the men. Some had looks of disbelief on their faces while some of them had knelt on their knees. 

"What are you bowing for?" she asked puzzled. "Stand for Christ's sake, you're men, it's not like I lord over you." 

They rose obediently as she looked at them curiously. Not a single word was said until the hangar doors burst open, two figures striding in. Tara felt her hearts ink as she recognized Folken's talk figure followed by one that she did not wish to see at all. The men parted for them until they were standing a few feet away from her. 

"Lord Folken, what are you doing here?" she managed to ask in an even voice. 

"To see who attacked the ship," his eyes flickered over the dragon warily. "Though it appears as if you have neutralized the problem." 

"He simply came to find me Lord Folken. He does worry when I am away for long periods of time." 

"You mean to tell me that this great hideous beast actually cares?" Dilandau's lips curled into a sneer. "Since when did you talk to animals?" 

"I would have to say that his company," she patted the muzzle affectionately, garnering a contented rumble. "Is much preferable to that of some others." 

Nothing was said as she and Dilandau exchanged hard glares before she looked back into the dragon's eyes. She never liked looking at Dilandau's; they reminded her too much of a man who had been pushed over the brink and descended fully into a madness of some sort. 

"Well, the dragon has to go." he said in a dismissive tone. "This is a fortress, not a zoo." 

Tara chuckled as Cork growled and tapped a great claw in offence, making the rest of the men jump. 

"Don't worry. So long as you respect him, he won't bite you....hard." she laughed at the looks shock of that travelled through the men. "I'm joking; can't you people take a joke once in awhile?" 

Nervous laughter passed through the ranks before it was silenced by Dilandau once more. 

"You act as if the dragon will be staying here." 

Tara didn't look at him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, you could try to get rid of him, and I do emphasis try for he is very large and not inclined to go anywhere. Otherwise, he will follow wherever I go, so he may as well stay here for a bit. He feeds himself and is pretty much self-reliant, so it won't drain whatever supplies you have. And this way I can keep an eye on him, keep him out of trouble." 

"And what's stopping you from leaving now?" Folken asked finally in a quiet voice. 

"And you wouldn't find me again?" she asked in a slightly bitter voice. "Besides, I have my reasons for staying as do all of you, I am sure." 

She could have sworn that a smile crossed Folken's face. Nothing was said as he walked to the door and paused in front of it for a minute. 

"Watch yourself Dilandau," he said in a dry tone. "She has a cooler head than you, and you may soon find yourself displaced by the Dragon Tamer. I shall leave you to deal with this...issue. " 

Tara found herself as speechless as Dilandau and the rest of the men as the door opened and slid shut silently. Swallowing, she glanced back at Dilandau who had an icy expression on his face. He fixed his cuffs before he walked up and started back and forth, still a good distance away from the dragon. 

"Come here." he ordered finally, pointing imperiously before him. 

She gritted her teeth at the tone in his voice, but forced herself to take the steps. "What did you want...Dragonslayer?" the last word was laden with sarcasm. 

Dilandau's face twitched slightly making Cork flap his wings testily, his gaze sweeping over the scene. "You are to keep watch on that dragon at all times. You are held accountable for its actions. So should something happen..." he let his sentence hang there. 

Tara narrowed her eyes. "He wouldn't do anything...unless he is provoked. And only certain people really do annoy him. Would you care to go and find out?" she stepped aside, gesturing that he had the way. 

"Just keep it here for now." Dilandau gave a snort before he turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the hangar. 

Tara didn't move as the soldiers started to trickle out slowly, taking their injured friends with them. Once the door closed for good, she smiled as she hugged Cork's muzzle. He nudged her back, a questioning look in his eyes. 

"You did well my friend," she said, trying to stop the tears that came to her eyes. "You did well." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Those blue eyes." Storm sighed as she started up at the clear blue sky. "Those damn blue eyes…" 

The breeze pushed along small white puffs of clouds; it was much like an idyllic dream where she had nothing to think of and nothing to do much. At least the last part was true. She felt sick inside, ever since part of Esturia had burned, like something was diseased inside her and it wouldn't go away. Those blue eyes had warned her but she couldn't recall anything more than that and it was driving her crazy. 

Hearing a faint low rumble beneath her, she looked up to see Glide looking at her curiously. 

"I'm all right," she said managing a smile as she patted his side affectionately. "Just a bit tired is all." 

Glide turned his head back around and rested his head on his great forearms. She looked away, a pang of guilt stabbing her. She didn't like to pretend that everything was perfectly fine, but the one person that she trusted was gone and she had no clue where. Glide was a dragon, it was in his nature to be violent, but she found it repulsive what had happened at the Esturia. So much destruction didn't have to happen; it only happened because she didn't do enough to stop the attackers. How many people had died during that battle, trapped in their homes unable to flee? And add the fire and steam… 

She rose with a sigh, turning around to look at the Crusade, anchored just behind an outcropping; someone had apparently been careless and knocked one of the giant stones it used to move around. They been here for the past few days; maybe they needed her help up there. 

"I'll be back." she said to Glide, heading for the rope that was barely dangling at ground level. 

Hearing a responding grunt, she grasped the rope and started to shimmy up, until she placed a hand on the wood planking. She pulled herself up and found the place virtually empty. She took a meandering path towards the broken stone where the sounds of frustration reached her ears. Quietly, she stepped out onto the thick metal band and walked along. 

"Need some help?" she asked leaning around the side to see who it was. 

"Gods!" 

She gave a faint smile as the wrench when flying into the air before she grabbed it and handed it back. "Sorry to frighten you like that Gadeth. Do you?" 

"Yeah, I could use a hand." he said before he glared at her. "You shouldn't sneak up on a person like that you know. Nearly scared me to death." 

"I try." she said in a somewhat sober voice. "What do you want me to do?" 

"Hold this from above if you can. It keeps slipping out." Gadeth frowned as he searched around for a screw. "What are you so sad about? We won back there." 

"Really?" she said, clambering up and holding the piece of metal into place. "Did we?" 

"Yeah. Didn't you see how fast they took off? Or we you doing something else?" 

Storm didn't respond, simply making sure the metal band was in its proper place. Nothing more was said as they continued on quickly, the parts attached back on soon enough. 

"All right Storm, you wait out here. I'm going to go and hit the switch." 

She nodded as Gadeth disappeared into the hold. She looked back at the massive stone, wondering how something like that could make a ship of t his particular weight rise up into the sky. A strange humming sound vibrated throughout the area. Storm looked around uneasily, not sure if this was supposed to happen. She backed away to the door slowly, her hand on her sword hilt; she felt as if she should be preparing for an attack. She paused in the doorway before she turned around and walked right into someone. 

She backed away hastily, drawing her sword with a guarded look. Once she saw who it was, she sheathed her sword back again rapidly. 

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't realise that-" 

"That's quite all right." 

She gulped as she looked at Allen. "I almost ran you through." 

"I doubt you could do that." he said with a smile. "Gadeth says that you helped him." 

"Yeah. I wondered why it was taking you guys so long to get moving." 

Allen nodded as he walked up to the stone. "We'll be on our way in a few minutes. It's working now in perfect order it seems." 

Storm shifted uncomfortably, patting her sword hilt. "Well then, I'll be off." 

"Storm wait." Allen turned. "Are you sure you won't reconsider?" 

"I told you already Allen that I would stick with you." 

"You seem to be…" 

"I seem to be perfectly fine." she walked over to where the rope was tied to the handrail. "You don't have to concern yourself with me, I'll be perfectly fine." 

"Storm, I think that-" 

"Allen, let it drop." she said in a curt voice. "It's nothing." 

A tense silence remained as she gripped the rail hard for a brief moment as she looked around. Just off to the side, she spied Van leaning against the corner, looking at her. Her lips pressed together in a thin line before she grabbed the rope and slithered down. She cursed as she felt her hands throb, realising the she gave herself rope burn. Breaking a stalk, she spread the cool sap on her hands. She discarded the bough with an angry motion before she made her way back towards Glide. She saw the look in Van's eyes. It seemed so accusatory, but not of her words to Allen. It was as if he knew exactly what she was doing and frowned up on. _'I don't need his opinion of me.'_ She ripped a branch out of her way as she walked down the path. _'Who says I even need them at all…'_ Now she had to deal with the maroon eyes as well as the blue ones. 


	9. Nine

A/N: Sorry this chappie took so long people. v_v Peridot yelled at me and got me to write again…under fear of my own gruesome death. I just got wrapped up in the other fics I was working on…namely 'Right of Blood'. But me is back and going!! 

_From Heaven to Earth_

Chapter Nine

Tara sighed as she walked out from the large hangar, rubbing the bridge of her nose, Aurelia immediately falling into step behind her. The past week had been slightly hellish as she made sure Cork was settled in. People came to gawk at him, and most irritating of all, Dilandau waited around virtually every corner, waiting to catch her making mistake. She was on her last nerve for the day. There was only one good thing from her having to make herself acquainted with the ship. Her feet picked up speed as she walked rapidly through the hallways, making for the interior of the ship. 

She had found a small room for plants last week and had taken an immediate liking to it. She took a deep breath as soon as she walked in; the smell of damp earth was invigorating after spending all day dealing with weapons and guymelefs. She felt the tension melt away as she took a seat at the far end of the room, closing her eyes and taking slow deep breaths. 

"Mistress?" Aurelia's voice was hesitant. 

"Yes?" 

"Perhaps I should draw you a bath?" 

"Later. I still have some things to think about." 

"Such as?" 

"Don't bother yourself with these things." Tara said in a slightly dismissive voice. "Hell, I'd rather have your job at the moment." 

"I'll draw your bath now, Mistress. You appear in great need of it." Aurelia said. "My job is infinitely worse than yours." 

"I doubt that." Tara said with a snort as she rose slowly, "I'm apparently in charge of something now, and I don't know what it is exactly. I should report to someone, but, not knowing what my job is, I don't know who the hell to report to. Dilandau's men look to me now, more than they do to him and I have a dragon I have to keep a constant eye on." Tara rubbed her temples; the headache came back just thinking about it. She glanced over at Aurelia, noticing a strange discoloration, almost hidden by her shirt. That wasn't there earlier on in the day. "What's that?" 

"What's what Mistress?" Aurelia asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression. 

"That." she pulled the shirt back slightly, seeing a large purple-black bruise. "How did you get this?" 

"It is nothing to concern yourself over Mistress. I'll draw your bath and-" 

"Look, I still have trouble with this, but you are my servant; no one should injure you in this manner. I know it wasn't me. Who did this to you Aurelia?!" 

Aurelia looked ready to burst into tears. "Mistress, I-I can't-" 

"Like hell you can't tell me. Who did this to you!" she demanded again. 

"It was Lord Dilandau." Aurelia said in a scared, timid voice 

"What?" Tara's voice held an odd note. "Dilandau…touched you?" Tara spun on her heel, intent on finding him. "That pig is going to regret ever laying a hand on you." 

"Mistress, no!" Aurelia ran in front of Tara. "He wanted me to spy on you, but I would not. He said he would-" Aurelia swallowed the sob down, hanging her head. 

"He would what? Unless you have a good reason for me to not pound the daylights out of him, you better talk now." 

"I have a family in Esturia. He said he could have them killed if I said anything to you. Dilandau cannot know that I told you." 

Tara felt her face blanch with rage, as she clenched a fist, nails digging into her palm. "That no good, conniving coward. When did he do this to you?" 

"When you were with the dragon." Aurelia said in a quiet voice. "I refused to agree with him at first so he hit me. I've always been a frail child, so I agreed with him so he wouldn't hit me again. If you wish to get another servant, I understand." 

"No; why would I? You were protecting yourself as best you could. Now you are going to go to my quarters and I'll be back with leeches. That looks like it's going to swell a bit." Tara held up her hand as Aurelia started to protest. "And don't worry about Dilandau. You will be giving him information; the information I tell you to tell him. Nothing will happen to your family, I promise." 

"Thank you Mistress." Aurelia said in a grateful voice. "Just, please, don't do anything rash." 

"I won't. Now go." Tara said as she made her way down to the infirmary. "This just gets better and better. Dilandau wants to keep an eye on me. Let's see how he deals with me messing around with him." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The night forest was silent except for the large bulk of dragon that continually moved around. The body curled into a ball before it stretched out, tail swishing slightly. A few minutes later, Glide half curled up, his body in a semicircle before he twisted around. 

"Look you," Storm began as she watched from her perch in a nearby tree. "You don't sleep much anyway. Just pick a position and sleep! I want to make sure you go to sleep before I take off to have my bath." 

Glide gave her a sour expression before settling down, head resting on his foreclaws. Storm gave a resigned sigh before she slipped down from her perch and made her way to the small lake nearby. The Crusade was still anchored nearby, finishing off the last of the repairs to the stones and engines. Storm quickly made her way to the edge of the lake, pausing at the edge of the small clearing for a moment to take in the silver waves that moved gently across its surface. She glanced back at the direction she had come in; no one had followed her and the Crusade was just out of range, so she didn't have to worry about giving someone a peep show. 

She took off her boots and dipped a toe in the water. It was slightly cold, but refreshing. She quickly stripped off all her clothes, making sure her sword was hung from a tree branch, and walked into the water, freeing her hair from its usual pulled back style. She let her body become accustomed to the water before she dove under, swimming out to the middle of the lake. 

"This is nice. This is the alone time I needed." she murmured to herself as she simply floated on the water's surface. 

She rather liked it on the Crusade, but after the battle in Esutria, after all that destruction; she needed to be alone to think it over, if the warrior's path was truly for her. She moved herself around in a lazy circle, gazing up at Earth that hung like a unique jewel in the sky. She knew it was in her blood to be a warrior, to fight for what she believed to be right and against what was wrong. She had gotten into so many fights at school over something. 

She closed her eyes with a soft breath. Those strange blue eyes were back once more; the ones that looked like they were trying to tell her something, but she could never tell what. She half contemplated looking back at the Earth but decided against it; she was always trying to avoid the eyes, why not see if she could get anything useful from them. They drifted through her mind's eyes, the message never fully sinking in. Why could she never understand what those eyes held? Was it a legacy, a warning, good news? She wanted to believe them, but how could she if she didn't understand them. Or perhaps they simply wanted her to have faith. But have faith in what? 

"Ach, it's hopeless." she muttered to herself as she stared back to shore, kicking slowly. "And I still have to deal with them. Allen's been around me whenever I set foot onboard and Van simply leaves me be." 

She opened her eyes, staring up at the Earth, contemplating over Allen and Van. They were alike and different at the same time. Allen was the refined warrior, the one who had the confidence and savvy of a skilled blade. Van, despite being king, still had that raw edge to his style, one that went all out and held very little back. She had to admit it though Allen struck her as a bit too savvy for his own good. She gave a small snort as she waded out of the water, pulling her underwear and pants on. She had just turned her attention to her bra when she heard a sudden rustle from the bushes a few feet away. 

"Who's there?" she called, fixing the straps so they were secure. "Who's there?" she demanded again when she didn't get a reply. 

Only silence greeted her, making her grab her sword down from the tree branch and draw it quickly. Her eyes scanned the area around her, hairs rising on the back of her neck; there was more than one of whatever was out here watching her. She moved back to the water, muscles tensed and ready to strike. Her heels hit the cool liquid when she finally stopped, ready to skin someone alive. 

"I know you're there, all of you. So just come out now." she said in a quiet voice. 

The bushes surrounding the small clearing moved, the shadowy figures holding something in their hands coming forth, one detached from the group, coming to stand before her in the light. 

"Never had some quarry know we were here before we could make our move." 

Storm looked at the man in disgust. "How touching," she said in a withering voice. "But I really must be going now. My dragon will be looking for me." 

"That great beast? We tied it down. We can go back later kill it." the man looked at her. "Dragon parts bring in good money at the markets. Pretty slaves too." 

Storm's sword hand twitched, moonlight glinting off it in an ominous manner. "I'd like to see you try." she spat. 

The man didn't say anything, making a swift gesture with his hand. Storm waited for the attack to come, but all she heard was the sound of something being thrown and landing on her. _'Shit, it's a bloody net!'_ She turned her sword with the sharp side up before she sliced clean through the ropes, The men rushing at her took a step back as she hacked away the ropes, leaving them to fall uselessly to the ground. 

"Don't let her get away. We missed once, and we're not going to miss again!" 

Storm snarled as the men charged towards her, sword waiting for the targets to come. She gave a yell as she charged forth, feeling something burst from her. The men hesitated before attacking her full on once more with orders from their leader. Storm moved like the wind, sword slashing the men in the arm or the leg, simply incapacitating them. It wasn't long before most of the men were limping from the water, blood streaming down their bodies. She started after the leader when a lasso made it around her neck, yanking her to the ground sharply. 

She made a move to retaliate but someone jumped on her, wrenching her sword away from her. She thrashed about, trying to break free. When they had finally subdued her, three of the men were sitting on her; the rope pulled just enough to constrict her breathing. 

"Well, well; it seems you have the same problem as your friend. But this time, we'll just cut them off and leave it as that. You'll fetch a good amount of gold at the market place. So will this sword of yours. Load her into the cage with the others; we'll sell her in Fried; it's a good distance away. Who knows if someone will come looking for her." 

Storm growled as the men carefully tied her up, carting her along none too gently until they reached their wagon. They tossed her in unceremoniously before slamming the door shut with a padlock. Storm started yelling curses at them as she struggled to loosen her bonds and escape. She squirmed and twisted, trying to free herself and move her hair out of her face. 

"Stupid bastard." she muttered fiercely as she felt the ropes start to go. "Cut what off, you fucking nut!? Show you, once I get free." 

The rope around her hands loosened enough for her to snag it on the rough wood bars of the cage and pull it loose. She pushed her hair out of her face, looking at the other occupants of the cage. They were huddled in the back, looking at her fearfully, Storm looked at them puzzled before she spotted her sword hanging just behind the driver's seat on hook, jouncing along. 

She made her way to the front, ignoring the others as the moved to opposite end of the cage, trying to avoid her. She reached her hand through the bars, trying to get her sword. It swung around as the cart started to make its way up the rough hill road. Storm kept trying, the sheath banging against her fingertips as she strained. Then the cart went over a particularly large bump, placing the end of the sword right in her hand. She smiled as she carefully manoeuvred the blade off the hook and into the cage. 

"This is much better," she said quietly to herself as she felt long the edge of the hilt. "Ah, there you are." 

She held up the slim length of wire before she stuck it between her teeth and fastened the sword to her side. She made her way to the back as the other occupants scampered forward. Storm rolled her eyes as she reached through the bars and started to pick the lock. After what seemed like forever, the lock made a small clicking sound and unlocked. Storm put the wire back and took off the lock, drawing it through the bars. She tossed it to the back before she opened the door and jumped down. 

"Crap." she looked back at the wagon that was making it's way along; they hadn't heard her. She smiled as the other people fled from the cage, the empty wagon cresting over the ill with the door swinging to an empty interior. "Now to go back." 

Storm sighed as she started off in a light jog, following the road back to where she could see the trail that had been left. She made her way back, with a sigh; the least she could do was put her shirt on and go back to the Crusade; someone was obviously after her and this apparently wasn't the first time. 

"For Gods' sake!" she exclaimed as she walked back into the clearing. "They took my shirt!!" 

She started back through the trees in a sour mood. It was somewhat incredible that they would bother to take that scrap of cloth that she called a shirt. She made her way through the trees quickly, hoping that Glide was all right. She froze when she saw came back to the spot, oddly torn between laughter and rage. Glide was still there, bound securely to the ground while he huffed, sending small clouds of dirt up into the air. 

"Give me a minute." she said, as she cut through the ropes rapidly. "Are you OK?" she asked as she rubbed his muzzle. 

Glide gave a rather irritated snort before he twisted his head around to look at her back. Storm sighed; first those people had looked at her like she had horns on her head and now Glide saw something interesting on her back. _'Maybe I suddenly grew a hunch.'_ She stomped back towards the lake, Glide lumbering after her. 

"Now, let's see what you people find so damned interesting!" she muttered as she took off her boots and walked out into the water. 

Storm glared down into the water, expecting to find some weird growth on her head or maybe she suddenly had scales. But there was nothing, bar those two strange white shapes behind her. She frowned, looking at them more carefully. They looked like something you found on birds, like wings. She paused, before she tried to look behind her. Momentarily cursing her own stupidity, she ran her hands up along her back, surprised to find two downy lengths growing from her shoulder blades. 

"Oh Jesus," she breathed. "How the hell am I going to hide this?! OK, OK, don't panic. Just sneak aboard and lock yourself into a cabin. No one's gonna think you're on the ship anyway." 

Storm sloshed her way back to shore, pulling her boots on before she started towards the Crusade, Glide following after her closely. She cursed momentarily when she saw the rope had been pulled up; how the hell was she supposed to get up there now? She looked back at Glide, before she dismissed that thought. Whoever the night watch man was would definitely notice a large dragon flying up towards them. 

"Guess I'll have to use these wings of mine. Even though I have no clue how to use them. But it can't be that hard." she said. 

She scratched Glide's muzzle before she gave her wings a tiny flap that sent a few leaves tumbling. Storm started chewing on her lip as she flapped them harder now, her feet lifting off from the ground. She waved to Glide before she looked up, flapping her wings harder. The Crusade's railing came closer and closer until she reached out and grabbed it, letting her wings rest. She pulled herself up and over, looking around to see no one on deck. She breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way into the interior of the ship. She looked at the cabin doors as she stepped into the hallway; she could only hope that she picked a room that was empty. She went from door to door, pressing her ear against it, the sounds of snoring and heavy breathing making her move along. 

"Please, let this one be empty." she put her ear to the door. "Not a single sound. Thank you Gods." 

She opened the door, wincing slightly at the creak the door made. She closed it quickly behind her, moving through the darkened room quickly. Right now, she just wanted a moment of peaceful uninterrupted sleep. Pulling back the covers, Storm slid into the bed, snuggling against the pillow as she closed her eyes. She had just started to drift off, when she felt something brush against her stomach. She snorted as she scooted away from it, intent on sleep. But when something warm and firm slid over her side, her eyes flew open, ready to smack whomever it was. 

"Oh shit." she breathed, as she realized what it was. "I thought this room was empty." 

She managed to turn herself over carefully, finding herself looking at Allen's sleeping face. She stifled the panic that reared inside of her, managing to keep herself calm. The main point was to get out of here without waking up Allen and so that no one saw her wings. She slid away slowly, biting her lip to stop the curses from flying; Allen was moving with her, intent on keeping her close. He must have been a man used to sharing a bed with a woman. Storm looked around before she grabbed a pillow and slid it between them and tried again. This time, Allen moved his hand, trying to readjust his grip. Storm slipped out, making sure the pillow was in his arms. She looked back at him with a sigh of relief before she walked to the door, closing it quietly. 

"That was…" her soft murmur broke off as she sensed something behind her. 

She didn't move trying to get a feel for where they were before she drew her sword and started to attack the person. The swords never touched though, as she recognized the maroon depths. 

"Van," she said in an irritated voice as she slid her sword back into its scabbard. "I could have sliced you in two! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" 

"I should ask the same of you, Storm." Van said, giving her a critical look. 

"What?" she looked at her chest and then at him again. "They're called breasts. You never seen a pair before?" 

That was clearly not the response Van was expecting. His face flushed red as he took off his shirt and handed it to her. "Here. Before half the crew sees you like that. You'll have to make your wings disappear in order to do that." 

Storm's face blanched before she looked at him. "I don't know how to do that." she paused for a moment before she spoke again. "My wings don't bother you?" 

"No. Look, you may as well come to my cabin. There's two beds and I'm using the top one." 

Storm didn't say anything as she nodded and followed Van down the corridor. She walked in silently, not looking at him and sat down on the bottom bunk. Van closed the door before he looked at her. She looked at him for a nervous moment before she drew her leg up and crossed them. 

"Look Storm," Van began. 

"Van, look at me! I'm a freak! What kind of person has wings growing from their back!? I can't face the crew like this tomorrow! They already think I'm a bit nuts from what happened back in Esturia!" she could feel the hysteria building up inside her. 

"Shh, calm down. Everything will be fine.' Van said coming to sit beside her. "You don't want to wake up the entire crew, do you?" 

"No! Who knows what will happen to me then! I was almost caught by slavers on the ground and now Glide's upset and…" she took a breath as tears came to her eyes. "And I don't know why I'm here in Gaea in the first place. I can't remember home, I was living in a cave, I broke my arm, I got stuck with a prissy princess and men that would never truly accept me as a warrior, me and Glide nearly destroyed a town. I didn't even realise it until after; I would have kept going if I could have seen the enemy…" she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. "Gods, I just don't know anymore. I just don't know anything, and I don't know myself." 

She drew her knees to her face, hiding the tear-streaked cheeks. She couldn't be strong tonight. She's had enough of it all. She would have liked nothing more than to vanish away into obscurity where no one would bother her in the slightest. No one would try to hunt her down, no one would try to hurt Glide. She didn't say anything when Van hugged her, arms holding her close. She didn't say anything when downy wings enveloped her blurred vision, along with Van's understanding maroon eyes. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"This is it." Tara murmured to herself as she sunk down into the steaming hot water. "Bliss is a nice hot bath along with peace and quiet." 

She submerged herself until only her nose was just above the surface, delicate wisps of steam winding from the surface. The soreness in her muscles started to relax, the knots undoing themselves. Four days of dealing with soldiers would be enough to stress anyone out, especially these particular soldiers. They were the rejects Dilandau had so graciously given to her to form her own regiment. Her sole job here was to form a regiment for Emperor Dornkirk and bring him glory along with Zaibach's destiny. She huffed, sending small bubbles rippling up to tickle the tip of her nose. _'Hard to know if that old man is delusional or if he has a sure plan that doesn't ride on fate alone and seeing into the future.'_ She ducked her head under before she leaned against the back of the tub. 

"Those men…" she frowned slightly to herself as she though about the men that she had to whip into shape. "No respect, no regard for anything, or any understanding of the military. But they are talented with blades, that much I can see. Dilandau was simply too impatient to deal with them. His loss will be my gain. But I'll have to master a sword now too. For once I am glad that stupid school made us take fencing." 

She mulled over her choices before she took the washcloth and scrubbed herself clean. She washed off and rose, shrugging into a robe. The inner chamber was darkened, Aurelia stitching something by candlelight. Tara lit two more and brought them over to her, smiling when the girl looked up at her. 

"You didn't-" 

"I know. But I don't want you to ruin your eyes. How's the bruise?" 

"Sore, but much better, thank you." Aurelia said. "You are much too kind." 

"You just think that because I have very different ideals than you." Tara shrugged as she walked behind the screen and changed into the clean clothes laid out for her. "Did you tell Dilandau what I told you to tell him?" 

"Yes. He believed every single word." 

"Good." Tara shrugged on her cape; she got cold sometimes in the floating castle of steel. "I'm heading down to the training areas." 

"I'll come with you." Aurelia said as she put aside her cloth and rose from her chair. 

"No, no. You stay here. I don't want you running into Dilandau beyond necessary." Tara said as she gestured for he girl to sit once more. "Besides, you can finish up your…" she looked at the cloth puzzled. 

"Embroidery." Aurelia said as she sat down again gingerly. "I hope you will like it." 

"It's for me?" she managed to keep the surprise from her face. "I don't think you'd let me refuse it." 

"No." Aurelia said with a small, somewhat timid, smirk. "Weren't you going down to the training grounds…Mistress." 

"I'm going." she grumbled. "I thought we had a talk about that." 

She shook her head as Aurelia gave a small laugh before she closed the door behind her. When she had first met her, Aurelia was shy, timid and somewhat lacking in spirit. It was nice to see that she was coming out of her shell. She sighed as she turned a corner, making sure her dress didn't catch on a corner. She had to remember to speak to Aurelia about getting her some decent pants and none of these delicate things that threatened to rip at every moment. When she finally made down to the area with her dress intact, she walked past the group that was going through drills until she found who she was looking for. 

"Anstor, I need to ask you for a small favour." she said as she stopped in front of the man sharpening a sword. 

"Ah, a pleasure to see you again, Mistress Tara. What is it you need?" Anstor asked with a gracious smile. 

"Two things actually. One, a sword of my own; my men have no respect for me because I am a woman. Perhaps they will respect steel and then the one who bears it." 

"That can easily be arranged." Anstor rose, looking at her critically before he walked over to a rack and selected one fairly thin looking sword. "This sword is made from Torushinian steel and is of the finest quality. There were many things used in it's making; magic is said to be one of them. Plus it is incredibly durable." 

"It hasn't been used," she said looking at the pristine scabbard; there wasn't a single scratch mark it. "I would prefer something more…broken in." 

"Hasn't it?" Anstor looked at her before he held it, hilt out. "This is the sword for you, Mistress. Give it a try." 

Tara took and drew it, amazed at how light it felt in her hand. She gave it a practice twirl before she thrust with it, impressed at the balance. "I think you may be right Anstor." 

"I'm always right," he said with a laugh. "Now what is the other thing you need?" 

"I'm a bit rusty; I need a sparring partner. Any recommendations?" 

Anstor fell silent as he thought. "You are more or less at the same par as everyone else here. Though you have a strange style if it can be told." 

Tara simply nodded; that wasn't the first time he had said something similar. "So?" 

"Well, I would recommend Lord Folken, but he hasn't picked up a sword in ages. The only other person I can recommend…" Anstor paused, as if thinking better of it. "Mistress, simply practice with your men. That would be more preferable than the other choice." 

"Come on Anstor. You know I can take most things in stride. Who would it be?" 

"Lord Dilandau." 

"Bloody fucking Christ!" she swore under her breath. "Are you sure?" 

"Positive, my Lady. He's the only one with the free time to spar with you. And he has a style unique to himself as well. I remember you said you like challenges." 

"I knew that would come back to bite me. That idiot is a challenge unto himself." she muttered. "Anstor, I really hate to do this but-" 

"Consider it done. I shall tell him for you. Your usual time? Tomorrow?" 

"Yes. And thank you. I owe you for this." 

"I'll remember. How could I forget something owed to me from someone as charming as you?" 

"Flatterer." she said as she tied the sword to her waist and headed out from the training grounds. "I'll see you later!" she called as the door closed behind her. 

She started back towards her quarters, the sword brushing against her leg with each step. It felt rather reassuring to have that weight there. She continued on down the hall, making her way to the opposite end of the ship. Before long, she stood in front of a door, knocking quietly. When she heard the muffled "Enter", she opened the door, looking in hesitantly. 

"Lord Folken?" she asked, seeing him occupied with something. 

"One moment." he said, leaning over something. A few minutes later, he rose standing in front of his desk. "Mistress Tara, what do you have to report?" 

"Nothing good." she said. "Those men won't be ready for at least three months, let alone one." 

Folken didn't say anything for a moment. "That's the reality of that situation. If you were free to do things without worry of protocol, how long would it take you then?" 

"A month." she said easily. "They simply need to be guided; they are excellent men, not the trash Dilandau made them out to be. Is there a sudden need for them?" 

"Yes and no." Folken turned and looked at her. "You know we are less than two days away from the capital of Zaibach." 

"Yes. I assumed that the men would be needed in the army and taken away from me once we arrived." 

"And if they weren't?" 

"Then I would guess that I would be Dornkirk's puppet." 

"Puppet. That's a fitting word." Folken looked at her. "Once you reach Zaibach, you will be taken before the Emperor." 

"Figured as much. Should I watch my tongue and not offend him?" 

"That would be prudent, since you are not favoured in his eyes…yet." Folken turned for a moment before he walked from his desk and approached her. "Your necklace will be of great interest to him." he rested his finger on the slight bulge it made beneath the dark cloth of her dress. "I suggest you don't let him know about the…trinket. You see it as trivial. He will see it as something far more." 

Tara didn't say anything for a moment as she regarded Folken. "Some would wonder why you are telling me all of this." 

"Let them." he said in a curiously blank voice. "The Strategos operates in ways they cannot begin to imagine." 

"The Strategos?" she arched an eyebrow. "Was that bestowed by the Emperor himself?" 

"By the men. Just as "Dragontamer" was bestowed upon you." Folken slid her a look. "Though Dragon alone would be sufficient." 

Tara nodded her head in thought. "I would imagine you have other things to get back to work on Lord Folken. I'll take my leave now." 

She turned and walked out quickly, feeling strangely elated by their conversation. Her steps were quick as she made her way back to her quarters. She wasn't too sure where the euphoria came from but she was very glad to have it. Tomorrow she would have enough to worry about in a duel between a Dragontamer and a Dragonslayer. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


	10. Ten

_**Chapter Ten**_

"Van!!" 

Storm opened her eyes at the loud screech and sat up, colliding with a figure that loomed above her. She scrambling up and the next thing she knew, she connected with the floor hard, her jaw crunching. She picked herself up with a groan, trying to clear the ringing in her ears. She swayed slightly as she stood up and looked down at Merle. 

"Merle, it's so early in the morning; why on Earth are you yelling this loudly?" Storm asked with a yawn. 

"You were in Lord Van's bed!!" Merle was practically screeching. 

"Eh?" Storm looked at her stupidly. "Far as I remember, Van climbed up on the top bunk when I went to sleep." 

"Then what's he doing there?!" Merle demanded as she pointed a finger. "He's right there in your bed!" 

Storm looked at her before she looked back to see Van sitting up and rubbing his head with a wince. "Well, he looks more like he just hit his head than shared a bed with me." 

"Merle, haven't we talking about knocking?" Van rose. "I was just waking Storm up for breakfast." 

"Van, how could…" Merle's words trailed off. "You were waking her up for breakfast?" 

"Yes Merle, breakfast." Van affirmed. "We'll be down in a few minutes. Why don't you go and get yourself something to eat?" 

"OK," Merle looked a bit reluctant but headed for the door anyways. "I'm coming to get you guys if you don't show up in a few minutes." 

Storm yawned again, as she stretched. "Well, that was an interesting wakeup call. Better than an alarm I suppose." She made her way to the door. 

"Are you all right? After last night?" Van asked as he looked at her curiously. 

"I'm fine." Storm said in a quiet voice. "Part of me wishes it was some horrible dream. But I know it's not, and that I'm going to have to learn to live with them. Just so long as they don't pop out at in appropriate times, I'll be fine." 

"I can help you if you like?" Van offered in a quiet voice. 

"Help me how?" Storm paused for a moment; she remembered that there had been an unusual amount of feathers in the room; far too many for one person to produce by themselves. 

Van didn't say anything as he suddenly fixed his attention on his boots, scuffing them slightly. Storm couldn't stop the perturbed feeling from rising in her chest. Brushing it aside for now she opened the door and walked out into the hallway. 

"Let's see about breakfast first. Then I have to go and check on how Glide's doing." She said softly, not looking at him. 

They walked down to the mess hall in silence, an awkward silence filling the trip down. Van had just opened the door when it was flung back, the solid metal flinging Storm against the wall to be squashed by the door's weight. She groaned as she pushed back against it, glaring when she saw Merle hugging Van for all she was worth. 

"What's the big deal, Merle?!" she snarled as she rubbed her sore nose. "First you screech at me to wake me up and then you attempt to break my nose!" 

"Well, that's your fault for not watching where you're going!" she shifted her attention back to Van. "I was starting to wonder where you had disappeared to." She shot Storm a look. 

"Fuck man, I don't need this in the morning," Storm muttered to herself as she walked in her face reflecting her black mood. 

A space was cleared for her immediately as she plunked herself down and a bowl placed with a spoon in front of her. She didn't say anything as she nodded her head curtly in thanks and ate a big spoonful of the porridge. Her eyes flew open as she repressed the urge to spit it out; the porridge had absolutely no sugar, not even a dollop of honey. She looked around to see some of the crew members with smirks on their faces, a few of them shaking with chuckles. She regarded them before she swallowed, feeling a bit of the black mood lift. 

"Yes, Very funny," she said in a dry but amused voice as she rose with her bowl. "If you'll excuse me, I have to hunt for some honey." 

Loud laughter followed her out as she walked into the kitchen. She had to admit it, the crew as very much like a family; close knit and always finding way to keep morale up. She chuckled to herself as she found the honey in between the spices, and poured some of it into her bowl, stirring briskly as she made her way back. It was something that she was definitely starting to miss, the company of other people. True, she had Glide, but sometimes, he could be gone for long periods of time, hunting for food. The last time he had done that, she was alone for little over a week. It was starting to become a bit harder for him to find food, in addition to being on the lookout for people who wanted to kill him; energists and dragon skin was an incredibly rare commodity in Gaea. 

"Ah, the loner has finally shown up." 

Storm looked up to see Gaddes and Allen seated at the table. "Well, I figured it was a free meal." 

Gaddes waited until everyone else had finished with their hooting. "You did an excellent job of helping me with the stones. None of these numbskulls seem to know which tool is which." He looked around the table at the men who were now eating with innocent looks on their faces. 

"How could you not know the difference?" Storm asked in amazement. "I mean they even look different!" 

Gaddes nodded. "Too bad you aren't staying on the ship. I really could use your help." 

"I…could come by a bit more often, if you like. Help out around here." Storm volunteered slowly. 

"That would be greatly appreciated," Gaddes flashed a smile. 

Storm felt her face flush as she started eating again. Maybe she just wasn't that used to attention from males. She looked between Allen and Van quickly before she focused on her food once more. Attention from attractive males to boot. She ate slowly, enjoying her food. But as she went, could feel a sense of worry grow from the inside. She toyed with her food a bit before she wolfed it down and rose easily. She hurried out onto the deck, a brisk wind whipping her hair into her face. 

"Glide?" she called out as she slid down the rope, ignoring the burn she got. "Glide, where are you?" she hurried through the brush and to the spot where he had been sleeping for the past few days. 

When she got there, all she saw was a trampled down spot, the grass and small shrubs lying flat. She walked around, trying to find something that would assuage her anxiousness that had intensified sharply. When she heard the sound of brush parting behind her, she looked back to see Allen come out. 

"You left in a hurry. Is something wrong?" 

"Shouldn't you be on the ship?" she said irritably as she continued to look around. "Supervising the repairs?" 

"Gaddes can handle that," Allen didn't say anything as he walked closer to her. "Storm-" 

"Look, just shut up, all right!" she snapped; the fear was starting to eat away at her rapidly and she didn't know where it was coming from. "I can't find Glide! He's gone!" 

"He probably just went off to hunt. Even a dragon needs to eat." 

Storm gave Allen dirty look. "Oh, use your brain. Surely you've noticed that he doesn't just up and leave like that. And he doesn't eat so soon after a meal. He ate about a week ago." She started off into the forest. 

"Where are you going?" Allen called after her. 

"What does it look like? I'm going to find Glide." She shot back. 

What she wasn't expecting was for Allen to grasp her arm and stop her. Anger snapped in her eyes, as she looked up into his blue ones. A few moments later she looked away and snatched her arm back, feeling a bit sullen. 

"You don't always know what's best for me, Allen." She said, still unable to meet his eyes. 

"I realize that. But perhaps you are being a bit rash?" Allen asked gently. "Rushing off so soon after you, yourself, were attacked may not be the best idea. Whoever these people are, they want you for some purpose." 

Storm didn't say anything for a moment as she walked to the edge of the matted grass. She finally nodded her head slowly, "All right, you win." 

Allen didn't say anything. "Will you at least consider joining for your own safety?" 

"I'll think about it." She whispered. "Can I have a moment alone?" 

"As you wish." Allen said, his boots crunching against the ground. 

She stared down at the grass, realizing that Allen did raise a valid point; even though she found it somewhat hard to admit the fact. Someone was out to get her and her best interest lay with the Crusade; at least she knew she could trust those men to watch out for her. But she was still so loath to join; there were bound to ask questions about; how was she supposed to answer them when she still couldn't remember an answer. 

"Gods…" she looked down at her feet before she crouched down. "What is that?" 

She looked at the strange blue liquid before she touched her fingers to it. Suspiciously, she sniffed it for a second before she tasted it. A sharp burst of metallic copper filled her mouth with an acridity that left her gasping for breath. She coughed roughly, struggling for breath. It felt like her lungs had been rigidly bound and the air constricted out of them. Her limbs suddenly took on a dead weight that made it almost impossible for her to move. 

Then, there was a sharp pain down her side that made her fall to the ground completely. She managed to alleviate some of the pain by somehow curling into the foetal position. Both her sides were now wracked by this pain, and she could feel her insides twisting upon themselves as if someone was repeatedly stabbing her. 

"Allen," she croaked out, her voice like a bullfrog's. "Allen!" she managed a bit louder. 

Allen stepped back into the clearing and hurried over once he saw her. "Storm, what's wrong?" he crouched beside her, as she lay there, curled up with grimaces of pain etched across her face. "I'm taking you to see the healer." 

Storm closed her eyes, not noticing the world suddenly rising up abruptly. The concern in Allen's voice did nothing to ease the abrupt knowledge she knew inside. "Dying…he's dying." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The cold brightness of the steel greeted Tara as she gazed at it pensively from her perch on Cork's forelimb. Ever since yesterday, Cork had been acting up; it seemed like he was almost in desperation to escape from this floating fortress. And when she had woken up yesterday, her necklace was glowing brightly, but it wasn't warm like last time; this time, it was a frigid coldness that worked its way through her entire body. 

"Hm," she mused as she flexed her hand muscles; she could still feel it in her, something that had worked its way into her very bones and wouldn't leave at all. "This is not what I need now." she rose and slid down from Cork's forelimb, pacing around anxiously. "Look, I have to go now. You will behave yourself, all right? And stop making those growling noises. They scare the men." 

Cork gave a snort as he settled his head down on the floor, his eyes lidded from view. Tara watched him for a few moments before she walked out of the hangar, the sounds of her boot heels against the floor filling the silence of the hallway. She still couldn't explain where the anxious feeling was coming from. She was in no way worried about this duel; she had done fencing before, and would simply have to improvise. Dilandau would not be one to follow rules; he'd more go all out and simply try to injure her. But she was more than ready for anything that twisted commander could throw at her; she had spent most of her waking moments in her room, practicing with her sword. 

Her lips curled into a smirk as she approached the doors to the training grounds. There was now a small curl of anticipation moving through her belly that banished away the worry. She gripped the hilt of her sword, glad for the cold sharpness of the Torushinian steel. The doors opened to reveal a large space in the middle of the training grounds, edged by a ring of whispering people. All the talk seemed to die down the moment she stepped in and the doors closed behind her. She walked to the clearing, seeing Dilandau at the opposite end, his sheathed sword being bounced against his shoulder. 

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up." his voice was sweet and mocking. 

Tara repressed the angry growl that rose in her throat. "And disappoint you so? How could I; besides, it's time you stopped playing with such...little toys, don't you agree." 

Dilandau's eyes narrowed to slits for a second before he swung his sword down from his shoulder. "Or broken toys." his eyes flickered from her face and to her sword. 

Tara gave a laugh as she removed her cloak and let it pile on the floor. "As a Dragonslayer, I thought you'd learn that fire burns." 

Dilandau's face kept its cocky smirk but his eyes sobered up a bit, a strange gleam in them. Tara brushed it off as she removed her shirt, revealing the close fitting tunic she wore underneath with a short leather jerkin overtop. A sense of satisfaction rose inside her and the men clustered around started to murmur, plainly staring at her. Even Dilandau wasn't lost, though he hid the flash in his eyes as quickly as it had come. 

"Well, Dilandau, are you just going to stand there and stare?" she asked in a soft cloying voice. "Or are you here to fight?" her voice hardened as she drew her sword, the steel ringing loudly. 

Dilandau didn't say anything as he drew his sword with an echoing ring. Tara hadn't even noticed the sudden hush that had descended over the sparring area. Tara didn't even draw hers yet, but she stepped forward, her hand resting easily on the hilt. Dilandau's sword remained down by his side as he started pacing around her in a circle, eyes flickering over her critically. Tara simply stayed put where she was, her eyes fluttering shut as she took a deep breath to calm herself. Using the mind was as important as using the body; and if she knew Dilandau, he would act first and think later. 

The sound of footsteps running towards her made her draw her sword as she whirled around. Steel met steel with a clang and a burst of sparks as Tara blocked Dilandau's downward stroke. She gave him a somewhat arrogant smirk before she broke off and came in with a low overhand blow. Dilandau laughed as he easily blocked it, brining in his free fist. But what he didn't anticipate was Tara's foot coming in for a low sweeping kick. He hit the mat with a loud thud while Tara stepped back. 

"How dare you?!" Dilandau spat. "There are rules." 

"Oh yes, the rules," Tara gave a contemptuous laugh. "First thing about rules Dilandau; they are meant to be broken. And since you so graciously decided to break them first, all bets are off. Gods know I'd probably bite you…if you weren't so skinny. I'm more likely to bite air than you." 

That caused a few chuckles to wash through the crowd before Dilandau stood up, murder in his eyes. He charged at Tara with a yell. She blocked each one of his thrusts and parries, unable to see an opening. _'All right, perhaps goading him wasn't exactly the best idea. But he's bound to screw up some time. I just have to wait for it.'_ Each one of their blows matched the other in offensive and defensive. When Dilandau made a vicious downwards stroke, she feinted to the right, allowing it to sink into the mat. 

"Hm, Dilandau you need to make more of an effort." She called tauntingly after him. 

Dilandau jerked his sword out and glared at her. "I'll slit your throat before you know it!" 

Tara jumped back as he came at her once more, unrelenting in his attack. She dodged from side to side, making small attacks under his defences. She almost didn't see his foot but she flipped out of the way. But when she landed, Dilandau was on her again, knocking her back down to the ground. He stood over her triumphantly, his sword gleaming before he moved in for the kill. Tara smiled as she moved her sword upwards, driving the razor sharp point towards his neck. 

Dilandau's froze when he felt it pressing against his throat, not moving any further. His sword point was still a good four inches away from her unprotected chest. She looked at him with cold victory gleaming in her eyes. 

"I'll kill you before you can even touch me." She whispered before pursing her lips together in a mocking kiss. "And just to show you how wrong you were…" 

Her foot darted up, knocking the sword out from his hands and across the floor. Dilandau's eyes widened for a second before he moved away, a sullen angry look in his eyes. Tara stood up, dusting some dirt from her clothes. Her eyes didn't leave Dilandau once; she was half expecting him to grab someone else's sword and come at her once more. But he simply stood there, his eyes smouldering with something she couldn't quite place. 

She walked over to her cloak and settled it around her shoulders again, fixing the clasp. "Oh, Dilandau, I would appreciate it if you simply left me and my servant alone. It's something of a bother when I need her for something only to find that you're…monopolizing her time." 

The sound of Tara's steps were lost in a sea of talk that she largely ignored. Her eyes skimmed over the crowd when she felt someone's eyes on her. She finally spied Folken off in a corner, unnoticed by the soldiers around him. She turned towards him, but the entire ship gave a sudden lurch followed by a dull clanking sound. Tara didn't even notice it, since the motion caught her off guard and she landed face first on the ground. 

"Ow!" she stood back up, rubbing her nose. She looked around, seeing the men trying to repress their laughter. She giggled as she shook her head. "Why don't you laugh? It was pretty funny, I'd imagine. But now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'll go make sure I didn't break anything." 

When she walked out of the training area, she was followed by the sound of laughter. She made her way down to the infirmary slowly, rubbing her nose from time to time. At the most it was just sore. But she knew what that lurch had been from; docking. They had finally arrived at Zaibach; and she was starting to wonder just what to do about her meeting with Dornkirk. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The door opened slowly to reveal the inside of the room. The interior was cool and draped in flowing fabrics. The grizzled man looked around carefully before he spied the faint glow from behind cloth. He walked towards the cloth before he knelt, hand going to his chest. 

"M'lady." 

"Hm? Ah, you're here. I was starting to wonder." The feminine voice was followed by a slight rustling sound. "What news do you have to report to me?" 

"All is well, M'lady. Lord Folken is still working on what you asked of him." 

"I see. And what does he have to say?" 

"She is interesting, somewhat complex, secretive and not to be underestimated with a blade." 

"A blade?" her voice was sharp and biting. "What blade?" 

"Lady Tara now has a blade of Torushinian steel." 

"Hm, that sounds like Anstor's work." Her voice was thoughtful. "Why did she receive a blade?" 

"To fight Lord Dilandau, M'lady. I was there to see it." 

"And how did she do?" 

"Very well, M'lady." The man paused. "She could have killed him before he could kill her." 

The lady paused. "I would expect no less. See to it that she sees Dornkirk as soon as possible." 

"M'lady." The man inclined his head and walked out. 

The woman remained still before she walked out from behind the screening length of drapery. Her snow white wings glowed faintly yellow as she walked over to a dresser and reached into a drawer. She looked at the small square of paper, wistful sadness clouding her eyes. She shook it off after a moment and placed the paper back before she closed the drawer quietly. She walked over to the door, sweeping her cloak off the peg and onto her shoulders as she made her wings disappear. The cold steel always made her chilly. 

She hurried down the halls and corridors of the castle, moving deep into the heart of the building. Turning down a dark corridor, she walked down to the lone door at the end, taking a key out of her pocket. The fine whorls and curves gleamed softly in the light as she pushed it into the keyhole and opened the door. 

All that was in the room was an object on a pedestal, surrounded by a pool of bright light. She walked up to it, gazing down at it. The book's leather cover glinted with the embossed gold trim. She reached out, touching the cover, feeling the softness of the leather. This tome was one of a kind, not to be found anywhere else in Gaea since the fall of the Draconians. A small smile curved her lips as she let her hand rest against the warm surface. This was all they needed to secure their future. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Well, you're all right aside from worrying too much it seems." 

Storm sighed as she rubbed her head. "So less worrying and more of?" 

"Anything else. Allen, make sure she doesn't worry herself sick again. And in less than ten minutes, too; I have to tell you, I've never seen anything like it." 

"Thank you, Shali." Allen said in a quiet voice as he leaned against the wall. "Could you give us a moment?" 

"Sure. I'm up for duty now anyways." He shrugged but flashed Storm a smile. "Just don't wear yourself down, all right?" 

Storm nodded as her face flushed bright red. She didn't say anything as the door closed. She cleared her throat after a few moments, looking out the window. "So…" 

Allen moved away from the wall. "So what do you plan to do now?" 

"You're just gonna throw a fit if I tell you." Storm muttered as she slid down from her seat and made her way to the door. 

"Why are you so insistent on finding the dragon? I'm sure he can take care of himself." Allen's face became a bit puzzled. 

"I just have to. Something bad could be happening to him and…" she sighed, rubbing her temple. "Gods, nothing ever goes right for me." 

"Storm, just hear me out, all right?" 

She nodded, watching him carefully. "I'm listening." 

"Your dragon's gone and you don't know where he is. You're vulnerable alone on the ground." 

"I don't know…" Storm said slowly. 

"Is there a particular reason why you don't want to join?" 

"Um…" her word was followed by an awkward silence. 

Allen didn't say anything, simply waiting for an answer. Storm frowned for a moment and started for the door. 

"I don't need this game of Twenty Questions." She muttered, hand on the doorknob. 

"Hm, I see." Allen murmured as he followed behind her. "And if you could join until you found your dragon?" 

"I suppose…that would be…all right." Storm paused for a moment. "Until I find Glide again?" 

"Until you find Glide again." Allen said, nodding his head. "So that's his name, huh?" 

"I've only said it so many times!" Storm bristled slightly. "How could you not hear it?" 

"With a crew like this, remembering all the things you hear can be a challenge sometimes. Especially names." 

Storm nodded. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Yes?" 

"What made you do it?" 

Allen looked puzzled. "Do what?" 

"Pick up a sword." Storm said, her eyes flickering to the length of steel by his side. 

A thoughtful look stayed on Allen's face as he contemplated her words. After a few moments of silence, Storm opened the door, murmuring an apology. Why did she always seem to ask the wrong question or do the wrong thing? She shoved her hands in her pockets and walked down the hallway, making for the upper deck. Gaddes was probably there, yelling at someone to get to work. 

"Guess I'd better hurry up." She mumbled to herself; why did she feel so miserable? 

"Storm?" 

She paused for a moment, twisting her head and seeing Allen behind her. "Look, you made it clear that you don't want to answer. I understand." 

"Gaddes is in the engine room." 

Storm nodded as she turned, heading for the stairs a few feet away. She stopped though when she felt Allen's eyes on her. She remained there for a moment, seeing something strange flicker in the blue depths, his brows furrowed slightly. When Allen took a step forward her heart shot up into her throat, fear making it race like a jackrabbit; what on Earth could she have possibly done now? 

"Storm?" 

"Yes?" her voice squeaked out. 

"Were you on the ship last night?" 

"Last night?" she shook her head slowly. "No, no I wasn't…Sir." 

Allen didn't say anything before he nodded his head and bowed slightly in goodbye. Storm watched him leave, breathing a huge sigh of relief.She shook her head as she hurried down the stairs and walked along until she heard the sound of machinery working behind a door. Opening it slowly, she looked in to see Gaddes looking critically at something. 

"Gaddes?" she called as she walked in. 

"Oh, there you are. Feeling better?" he asked. 

"Yes, thank you." 

"I need you to reach into the hole there. My hands are too big." Gaddes took her hand and inspected it. "You have slender hands and fingers, just the right size." 

Storm took her hand back as she tried to fight back the blush that rose to her cheek as she crouched down in front of the hole and stuck her hand in. "There's something loose inside." Her fingers brushed against the object, making it rattle. 

"That must be what's causing the lag. Try to tighten it." 

Storm grasped the thing, feeling her fingers slip on the grease. Her tongue crept out as she managed to get a steady grasp on the object and screw it back into place. When she drew her hand out it was covered in grease and little bits of metal. Gaddes handed her a old cloth to wipe her hand on. 

"That was some good work there. Are you going to be around a bit more?" he asked, looking at her with his hands on his hips. 

Storm smiled shyly. "I think it's safe to say yes." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tara walked down the long stretch of hallway, Folken beside her. A grizzled man was leading them, his beard peppered with white hairs. She glanced over at Folken who had no expression on his face; it seemed as if this was not the first time that he had taken a walk this way. She looked back at their guide, hoping they would be done walking soon enough. When he finally stopped in front of a door, she gave a small sigh of relief. But when the door was opened and only Folken walked in, she glanced at the man before he made a motion to enter the room. 

Her steps were slow and cautious as she walked it; the sound of the door closing behind her did nothing to help. She and Aurelia had only just settled into their new quarters when this man had shown up, telling her that her presence was required. Now she found herself in a cavernous room, the only visible place to stand being the platform that Folken was standing on now. Tara walked up and stood beside him. 

"Do you know what you're here for?" she murmured under her breath. 

He glanced at her. "All I know is that you are here to meet him." 

Tara nodded her head as she fell silent once more, looking around in the darkness to try and see whom she had to meet. The sound was so slight that she almost missed it; but it came again as lights turned on, one by one. Tara had been expecting to see a man sitting on a throne; what she saw was a vast rise of metal and the mass of white hair with curls at the pinnacle, that almost obscured the face from her view. The platform beneath them gave a slight motion before it rose into the air easily. She watched as the Emperor's face drew closer and closer. When the platform finally stopped, she could she his face perfectly, the wrinkled skin, the long white hair and the milky-white eyes. 

"Mistress Tara," his voice was gravelly and slow with age. "I finally have the pleasure of meeting you." 

"The pleasure is mine, Emperor Dornkirk." She said with a slight bow; this was the last thing she had been expecting to see in concern to the ruler of Zaibach. 

"You have taken command of a regiment of men?" Dornkirk asked. 

"Yes Emperor." She replied. "They are almost done the training and ready for combat." 

"We shall see. Folken." 

"Yes Emperor?" 

"Take her under your wing. Teach her all that you know. Between the two of you, you shall bring Zaibach to its greatness." 

"Emperor, perhaps I am not the suitable choice for this. A general perhaps?" 

"No, you Folken," Dornkirk restated. "Too many of my generals are bloodthirsty and will teach her the wrong thing. You are not like that; you will show her right and help her to greatness." 

"As my Emperor wishes." Folken said with a bow. 

"As you wish." Tara said as she inclined her head. 

"I heard you have a necklace?" Dornkirk peered at Tara intently. 

Tara didn't make a motion, feeling the cool stone against her skin beneath her dress. Ever since Folken had warned her, she had taken care to hide it. 

"Well?" Dornkirk's voice tightened with anger. "Answer me!" 

"Forgive me Emperor." Tara said. "I did have one, but I lost it when I was captured. I have no idea where it might be now." 

"Hm, a pity." Dornkirk mused in a soft voice. "You may take your leave now." 

The platform retracted back down to the ground and Folken and Tara stepped off. They didn't say anything or look at one another as they walked out. Waiting just outside the door was a woman with pitch-black hair and a simple white gown, it's train pooled around her feet. 

"Lady Aresia." Folken said with a bow. 

"Lord Folken, perhaps you can give us a moment?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow. 

Folken nodded as he turned and walked in the opposite direction, Tara watched him go, half-tempted to go after him. This woman made her wary for some odd reason; it seemed like she knew something that Tara didn't. She looked back at the woman to see her smiling brightly before she enveloped Tara in a massive hug. 

"Eh?" surprised, Tara tried to pull back. 

"It feels so good to hold you." Aresia murmured as she stroked Tara's hair. 

"What the hell?" she exclaimed as she tried to pry Aresia's arms off of her. "I don't bat for that team lady!" 

"You have your father's hair and eyes." 

Tara froze. "What?" 

"You have Seamus' hair and eyes." Aresia pulled back, tears glimmering in her eyes. "I've dreamed about this moment ever since I left Earth." 

"No way. No freaking way!" Tara took an involuntary step back. "How the hell do you know my father's name?!" 

Aresia smiled at her. "Because I'm your mother." 

~*~


	11. Eleven

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter is highly overdue. Which is why I spent two days straight simply typing it up in between suffering this cold I've caught and hitting my head against my desk far too many times. But hey, I figure everyone suffers for his or her art in some way. 

_From Heaven to Earth_

Chapter Eleven

Storm frowned as she looked at the mass of metal, shifting the tools she held in her hands. "Gaddes, are you sure there's a problem with this thing?" 

"There's a problem," Gaddes said as he scratched his head. "Though I'm just about stumped as to what it could be." He blinked as the breeze kicked up slightly. 

"Well, it needs to be fixed up before we can even think of leaving here," Storm murmured as she looked at it. 

"It might be the conductors. Do you think you can get up there somehow and take a look?" 

Storm tilted her head and looked up at the stretch; there were a few places for her to get a foothold and scramble up to the top. She flashed Gaddes a grin and grasped a protruding shaft and pulled herself upwards. She scaled it rather easily and peered in through a vent. 

"There's something caught inside," Storm called down. "On something. I'm gonna open this vent and see what it is." 

"Just be careful; there're some sharp things in there," Gaddes warned. 

"Yeah, yeah," Storm said as she started taking out the screws. "Sharp things." 

Gaddes shook his head with a chuckle. "You're not easily fazed are you?" 

"Guess not," she replied as she took the cover off and reached inside carefully with a hand. "Here, hold this." She let the cover drop into Gaddes' hands. 

She lapsed into silence as she worked her hand through, trying to find the problem. The Crusade seemed to be falling apart at the seams. As soon as one problem was fixed, another popped up. This was the fifth repair they had in three days. Storm didn't mind the work; hell it made the trip actually interesting. And it helped to distract her thoughts from the worry she had inside for Glide. 

But the other thing about the trip was Van and Allen. Van seemed a bit more reserved around her than usual. And Allen, well he just seemed to pop up in the most unlikely places where she was and nearly scared her half to death every time. His apologies were starting to grate on her nerves. 

"Oh well. At least I'm outside today," she smiled, feeling the sun on the nape of her neck. "And those two are far, far away from me." 

"How's it going up there?" Gaddes called up. 

"Good. I think I've just about got it!" she called back down as she slithered her other hand in. 

"All right, Lord Van is here. He wants to talk to you once you get down." 

Storm rolled her eyes; apparently she had spoken too soon. "All right." 

She felt around until she found the tangle of coated metal. Her brow furrowed as she carefully detangled the mass. A slight humming sound could be heard as she drew her arms out after a while. She smiled in satisfaction before calling for the cover. It came whirling up and she caught it easily and reattached it. 

"There, all done. Anything else while I'm up here?" she called down. 

"No. Now come down before you fall off the wrong side." Gaddes said. "I don't want to lose someone who actually knows what they're doing with this stuff." 

Storm snorted with laughter. "Aye aye, Sir!" she walked to the edge easily and jumped down. 

Gaddes was standing there with a smile as well as Van who had a smile of his own. She wiped her hands clean, while looking at Van expectantly. Van motioned with his head and started back for the corridor inside. Storm excused herself for a moment and went after him. 

"So, what is it, Van?" she asked as she found him leaning against the wall. 

"I've been thinking," he said. "When I said I could help you." 

"Oh. That," Storm suddenly found herself unsure of what to say. "Well, I was just hysterical that night." 

Van didn't say anything for a moment. "I still mean it." 

"Thank you," Storm said. "Really though, I'm not too sure. I mean the chances of that happ

ening again…" she trailed off with a shrug. 

"I see." Van's voice was quiet. "If you do change your mind, I'll be out on the deck later on tonight." 

Storm nodded her head slowly as Van disappeared into the ship's interior. She looked down at her hands to find herself still wiping them with the cloth. She muttered a curse in disgust, wiping off the last bits of metal and walking back outside. 

"Everything all right?" Gaddes asked, looking back at her. 

"Fine," Storm said easily as she bunched up the cloth and put it back in the box with the tools from her pockets. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Uh huh?" Gaddes picked up the box and started inside. 

"I was just wondering, once everyone goes off to sleep, are the doors locked?" she asked as she walked alongside him. 

"Unless someone locks their own cabin door, no." Gaddes gave her a curious look. "Why?" 

"I was just thinking that last night but it's kinda stupid. I mean, watches are run and everything so…speaking of that, who is on watch tonight?" 

"Lord Van volunteered." Gaddes said as they descended down the stairs. "Now, with the repairs done for today, we can get going. But how about some lunch first?" 

Storm chuckled as Gaddes reached over and rumpled her hair. "Definitely lunch first." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Would you like another glass, Mistress Tara?" Aurelia asked softly. 

"Please," Tara held out her glass to be filled. 

"You really shouldn't drink that much. This is your sixth glass." Aresia said in a slightly reprimanding tone. 

"You," Tara said in cold politeness. "Will kindly refrain from making comments and leave me to do as I please." 

Aresia inclined her head in acceptance. Tara scowled slightly before she took another sip. The only sound that echoed in the still room now was of the bottle being placed back down with a small 'thunk' by Aurelia who melted back by Tara's side. 

"Besides, I'm part Irish; this is in my blood, is it not?" she gave Aresia a sharp look. 

Aresia didn't say anything, choosing to keep her mouth shut. 

"I think you had better start at the beginning of this claim you have," Tara said in a soft voice. "I've had three women try to be a mother to me and each one had regretted it, I can assure you." 

"I suppose Seamus was right to try and raise you with some feminine influence; he could be rather harsh on his own." 

"I said start at the beginning. Not on some thing you fancy." Tara's voice cracked like a whip. 

Nothing was said for a moment but Aresia started to talk slowly. "Humans from Earth have been finding their way to Gaea for millennia now. Seamus was one of those people." 

"And you are not human?" Tara pounced on the omission immediately. 

Distinct discomfort settled on Aresia's face. "No. I hail from somewhere much different." 

Tara watched her; it would be best to leave her to squirm for a bit. "So you found your way to Gaea, as did Seamus." 

"Yes. We were both stranded here for a bit, lost from the only homes we have ever known. It was almost a year before we found a way back to Earth." Aresia shook her head. "It was very confusing because so much more time had passed in Seamus' world." 

"And why didn't you return to your own world?" Tara said calmly, taking a sip. 

"By the time we had found a way to leave, we'd fallen in love. And there was nothing I would sorely miss from my world, so I went with Seamus." 

"I see. So you went back to Earth with him, and that's presumably where you popped me out?" 

"No!" Aresia's voice crackled with anger. "I did not just pop you out, insolent whelp! You were a difficult child to bring into this world. For three days I laboured just so you would live! Of all the nerve…" 

Tara arched an eyebrow. "Three days? With modern medicine on Earth, it would have been less than a day to deliver a child. If you couldn't deliver, there was always a C-section." 

"I didn't give birth to you on Earth," Aresia said quietly. "When Seamus and I arrived, he found it had changed so much that he simply couldn't find a place, much less like the one he had. And so we came back here. Gaea is where you were conceived. And Gaea is where you were born." 

"Indeed," Tara said in a disdainful voice. "Then how did I end up on Earth?" 

"We were being pursued when I went into labour. So we managed to hide out for three days while I struggled to bring you into this world. Seamus was holding you when I realized the one thing I had to do to keep the two I loved safe." 

"And that was?" Kayla asked; she was rapidly losing interest in this. 

"I made a wish to see the two of you on Earth, away from his clutches." Aresia paused for a moment. "I am glad to see that it worked for one of you for a time." 

"A wish, took Seamus and me to Earth?" Tara scoffed. "A wish doesn't have any power." 

Aresia shook her head. "That is where you are wrong. Gaea itself was formed from a wish, from a wish of many people. On this soil, wishes have more potency than on the polluted ground of the Mystic Moon." 

"Interesting," Tara said, taking another sip from her glass. "And whose clutches would this be?" 

A strange light flickered in Aresia's eyes before she shook her head. "You must either have a touch too much arrogance if you believe that I shall tell you or you have not seen it for yourself yet." 

Tara didn't say anything. "So far, everything you've told me has done nothing to convince me that what you say is the truth." 

"Even if I told you about Seamus, I doubt you would believe me." Aresia murmured. "But could you at least tell me how he's doing? Well so far as you last knew. Is he still taking those pills?" 

Tara felt her face blanch slightly for the first time during the conversation, but she maintained her composure. "Pills?" 

"His heart pills," Aresia said with mild irritation. "I've seen the scar on his chest. He had a bypass surgery to correct a defective valve in his heart. And he never had good blood pressure to begin with. Can't you at least tell me how he's doing?" 

"My father was disgustingly healthy when I left. He wanted to play rugby with me when I got back home." Tara said quietly as she contemplated her wine. 

Aresia didn't say anything for a moment. "What were those three women like?" 

"You don't have the right to ask me that," Tara murmured. "But he never saw what I saw." 

"I see," Aresia rose before she spoke a bit sadly. "I'm glad he wasn't here to see this; he would have been disappointed in you." 

Tara didn't say anything as Aresia walked past her and out the room. She sat there, staring down into the contents of her wineglass stonily. So Aresia had been right; Seamus would have been disappointed by her behaviour. But she'd be damned of she let some one in like that only to have them trample all over her. She'd been stupid enough to make that mistake twice and she would never make it again. 

"Mistress?" Aurelia said hesitantly. "Are you all right?" 

"No, I'm not," Tara admitted softly. "Could you draw me a bath please?" 

"Anything else?" 

"No; anything else, I'll do for myself." Tara said wearily. "Thank you Aurelia." 

Aurelia touched her shoulder with a smile before she disappeared down a small corridor in the room. Tara had to admit, the room she had been given was more than pleasing. This room alone could hold three of her bedrooms from Earth; and this was apparently a reception room of sorts. Her bedroom alone was rather over the top with the massive bed; what did she need a bed that big for? It was bigger than a queen-sized mattress; and it wasn't like she was sharing it with anyone. 

What really had got under her skin was that Aresia knew about Seamus' heart. Only Tara and one of those women he had dated knew about it. It wasn't so easy to brush it off that Aresia was able to describe it so exactly; coincidence wouldn't help her out this time. She balled a fist and hit the table with it. It was perfectly clear to see that Aresia had strung her along, playing her little game, when clearly Tara was the one being played with; and that, she never liked. She loathed it with a passion. 

"You won't get away with that Aresia," she muttered to herself before taking another sip. "You started the game and made me look the fool." 

"Mistress?" 

Tara looked up to see Aurelia standing by the wall, looking at her uncertainly. "Don't worry. I'm just a bit more stressed than I would like to be." 

Aurelia nodded. "Then I shall leave you to your bath." 

Tara smiled gratefully and headed into the back. The bathroom was rather large, a tap decorated with a serpent twisted around a branch. Tara sniffed disdainfully and stripped off quickly, eager to get into the water; she could see the tendrils of steam curling off the surface. But she paused after a moment and spread her wings, the downy white feathers whispering against her back. 

"Hm, that feels good," she murmured as she stretched them out and then folded them back before she sank into the water. "Perhaps that is what I will have to do. Father certainly didn't have wings. So that only leaves Aresia with her claims." She sloshed the water around a bit with her hands, lips curving into a smile. "Its' time to find out where exactly that woman 'hails' from." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Storm sighed as she turned over in her bunk restlessly. The other bunk over Merle was snoring away peacefully. Aside from her restlessness, there was no way on Earth to sleep through the racket Merle was making. The snores were intermixed with strange mewling sounds and Merle's tail flicking from side to side every so often. 

"That's it," Storm grumbled as she got out of bed and walked out of the cabin. "I've had it. Gods, that was a brilliant idea; stick me with Merle," 

Storm's footsteps echoed out slightly as she walked through the ship's silent and empty corridors. When she opened the door to the deck, and the crisp night air greeted her, she inhaled deeply. She should have volunteered for a night watch. It was invigorating simply being out here. 

"You came," 

She looked around hearing Van's voice. When she finally spotted him he was standing on the flat surface above the door; the one that had no ladder to get up there. And he was shirtless. Her face flushed slightly. 

"Van, how did you get up there?!" she hissed. "I don't even think you're supposed to be up there!" 

"Well, it's not as if Allen's here to stop me at the moment." Van easily jumped down, landing with almost no noise. "Do you really want to know how I got up there?" 

"It's not like you could just climb on up and even jump. It's a bit too high for that." Storm said as she looked at it critically. "So how did you do it?" 

Van didn't say anything as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Storm waited patiently; she didn't have to wait long. It all seemed to happen so slowly. She could see the white lengths grow and fold over, almost like bird wings. But these stood out slightly; ready to spread at a moment's notice. She glanced at Van's eyes to see slight apprehension in their depths. 

"I really have to try to stop living in denial," Storm muttered. "You have wings too. Why didn't you say so before?" 

"You yourself seemed so apprehensive about your own," Van said. "Besides, people are somewhat nervous and scared of our kind." 

"Our kind?" Storm asked making a motion between the two of them. "What do you mean 'our kind'?" 

"Only Draconians have wings like this," Van watched her for a moment. "You don't know about the Draconians, do you?" 

"No, I don't." Storm said shaking her head. "Is it so important that I know now?" 

Van shook his head. "You should get a feel for bringing your wings out and putting them away at will. So there's no repeat of a panicked night." 

"Or going into the wrong room," Storm muttered. "Hang on a moment." She pulled of her shirt quickly. "Van, look," Storm began as Van's face flushed bright red and he lowered his eyes. "This is the only way and I am not cutting up holes in my shirt. It's barely holding together as it is." 

Van nodded and cleared his throat, managing to look her in the eye. "Do you know how to bring your wings out?" 

"Not really, but let me try," she said before closing her eyes. 

Storm breathed slowly, recalling every aspect of the night when her wings had appeared. But nothing was happening. All she remembered was the rage that had flooded her. Perhaps the key lay in there. She forced her brain to think back and go over the moment more carefully. Her anger had risen sharply, as well as the urge to dispatch the men quickly. Then she caught the one thing she had missed before; the slight thing inside that had snapped. It was so slight; it was no wonder she had missed it that night, much less now. 

The strangeness - she had no better word for it - suffused through her body, but she could feel it pooling on her back, and then sprouting outwards. She didn't open her eyes yet, but waited as it accelerated slightly before slowing down and coming to a gradual halt. When the strangeness was gone, she cracked open one eye a bit. 

"You did it." Van said simply with a grin. 

"I did?" Storm craned her head back to see the downy feathers protruding from her back. "Heh…they're actually…kind of nice." She murmured as she touched once gently; the feathers were incredibly soft. 

"Are you just going to leave them folded? Spread them, get a feel for them." Van encouraged. 

Storm gave him a grin and did just that. She looked at either side as she gave them a small flap. They moved accordingly and lifted her slightly off the deck. She gave a chuckle as she landed easily back on her feet. 

"That was actually fun," Storm grinned at him. "Are you just going to stand there and watch me?" 

"Yes. I highly doubt I need to show you anything beyond the basics of flying." Van said easily as he rubbed his head with a laugh. "And to make sure you don't do anything crazy." 

"Like jumping off the ship and trying to fly?" Storm suggested. 

Van nodded his head. "Exactly like that. Flying is a lot harder than it looks, so don't even think about making a dash for it." 

"Aw, you're no fun." Storm sulked. "What's it like flying?" 

Van didn't say anything for a moment. "I can show you if you like." 

"You'll take me for a ride?" Storm couldn't stop her anticipation from creeping into her voice. 

"Just a quick one," Van said with a smile. "I am on watch duty after all." 

"So, what do I do?" Storm asked. 

"You," Van said as he walked up to her. "Don't squirm at all." 

"Huh? Van!" she shrieked in surprise as he scooped her up in his arms. 

"Hang on!" he said as he started to run towards the guardrail. 

Storm had just enough time to do as he said as he jumped out into the air, spreading his wings. They fell for a bit until he caught the draft and soared up into the air. She glared at him before she turned her attention to the landscape below them. The treetops were frosted with silver moonlight, while the lake in the distance behind them seemed to be made from it. There was a slight breeze that whipped her hair around, but she ignored it. This was amazing; to not have the ground beneath your feet and wing through the domain of birds. 

"Enjoying yourself?" Van's voice held a touch of amusement. 

"Immensely," Storm replied as she turned to look at him. "But maybe you should be getting back." 

Van nodded as he banked easily and started back for the Crusade. "You've been different lately." 

Storm looked at him. "What do you mean?" 

"You've been going out of your way to avoid Allen," Van stared ahead for a moment. "Is there a particular reason?" 

Storm didn't say anything until they alighted on the deck. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but…sometimes I get this odd feeling he's staring at me when I'm in the room working with him in there. But when I check to see, he's busy with something else. It's kinda starting to creep me out." 

"I see," Van said as he put her down. 

"That's why I've been working with Gaddes and spending a lot more time in my bunk. But I need to do more things." Storm paused, thinking. "Do you suppose we could spar? It's keep me far away from Allen and we'd be keeping up a skills, maybe we'll learn some new ones." 

"So long as they don't detract from your duties. I have a feeling Allen would be less than thrilled if he found out the reason." Van said wryly. 

"Not a problem," Storm said with a shrug. "Would you mind if I just stayed here for a bit?" 

Van shook his head. "But aren't you going to have to get up early?" 

"Yeah," Storm shrugged. "But I can go all night and function perfectly fine in the day." 

"If you say so," Van flew up to where he was before and made his wings vanish away. "Are you hungry?" 

"Kind of," Storm flew up and alighted beside him, doing the same thing, though it took her a few minutes longer. "Bread and cheese, huh?" 

"It's nothing very fancy," Van said almost apologetically as he handed her a half of the loaf and the chunk of cheese. 

"I wasn't expecting fancy. Thank you." She took them from him, biting off a bit of each. "Good cheese." 

"Good bread." Van replied through a mouthful of crumbs. 

Storm looked at him for a moment before she chuckled. "You know," she swallowed. "Whenever I see you, you're so serious. Except for now." 

"I've always felt more at home in the night," Van said with a simple shrug. "It's the one time where I can stop being King for a few hours and simply be myself with no expectations of me." 

"You're a King without a kingdom; why?" Storm asked after a few hasty bites. 

Van didn't say anything for a few moments. "My kingdom was attacked. They came in the night like thieves, hidden by something. My people never had a chance to fight back." 

"Who're 'they', Van?" 

"Zaibach," he spat. "I know it was them. With their red suits and that man with the maniacal voice." 

"Red suits?" Storm felt a chill run through her. "Like the ones at Esturia that day when…" 

Van nodded. "Exactly the same. I can barely remember that day; it was somewhat chaotic. I suppose we both have our reason to hate Zaibach. They took your friend too, didn't they?" 

"And she was my only link to my past," Storm said quietly. "Since I can't remember anything past my own name and that I come from somewhere else." 

"That day in Esturia, I got the distinct impression that you know perfectly well where you come from. You just chose not to tell us." Van murmured as he glanced at her. 

"Are you mad about it? I've noticed some things since I've been on Gaea; you don't claim to be a Draconian, you don't claim to be from the Mystic Moon, and if you're apparently a pretty girl, stay far the hell away from slave traders." 

"It's perfectly understandable," Van said before he lowered his voice to a bare whisper. He leaned in slightly. "Just where are you from?" 

Storm leaned in a bit more, to whisper in his ear. "As I know it, I'm from-" 

"Storm, are you out here?" 

Storm retraced back at the sound of Allen's voice, trying to not look guilty. The blond haired captain walked out onto the deck, looking around quickly until his eyes rested on her and then Van, up above the door. She glanced at Van quickly before she looked back at Allen. 

"Yes?" 

"I was trying to find you." Allen looked between the two of them for a moment. "Can we talk for a moment?" 

"Well, uh," Storm faltered for a moment, her mind racing. "I was just going off to sleep. I was out here talking to Van for a bit and I'm honestly kind of tired now." She jumped down, landing by the doorway somewhat awkwardly. "And I'd need to be dead tired to sleep through Merle's racket, which I am now," she proceeded to give something of a semi-genuine yawn. "I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow Commander. Night, Commander, night Lord Van." She bowed slightly to each one of them and promptly disappeared into the ship's interior before Allen could get a word in edgewise. 

She breathed a sigh of relief as she hurried down the hallway, and entered the cabin. The same Godawful racket was still going on. Storm crawled into her bunk and pulled the blanket over her head before she stuffed the pillow over her ear as tight as she could. She might be hot, and this blanket somewhat stuffy, but they all helped to block out Merle's racket. And at the moment, she was drifting off like she had wanted to earlier. Coming up with ideas to avoid Allen would be tomorrow's next issue. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Tara walked through the cool halls of the Zaibach palace. She had spent most of the day simply getting acquainted with the grounds and becoming familiar with the new terrain. Whatever training Dornkirk had told Folken to give her, it hadn't happened yet. Either Folken was hesitant to do it, or he was planning some hellish lessons. 

The room she had just entered now could be nothing less than a terrarium. The room was bursting with plants that had leafy, screening foliage as well as some rather delicate scented flowers. Mixed in with the scent of water and earth, she found this room to be the best thing she had found so far in the citadel of cold unyielding steel and metal. 

"Aurelia?" Tara turned to find the girl sniffling slightly to herself. "Is something wrong?" 

"No, nothing is wrong Mistress," Aurelia murmured, in a stiff voice. "It's simply a case of an upset stomach, nothing more." 

"Then go back to my quarters and rest, you silly girl." Tara scolded; she did look a bit green around the gills. "I can look after myself." 

"All right Mistress," Aurelia said. "You're sure you'll be fine?" 

"I'm sure. Now go." Tara said, pushing Aurelia towards the door. "And just rest. If I find out that you've been working…" she let the words hang in the air. 

"As you wish, Mistress." Aurelia shot back as impishly as she could before she quickly exited the room. 

Tara shook her head with a smile. So far, this day had been somewhat enjoyable. It was something she couldn't say of much of her time in Zaibach since she was captured. She walked along the paths, until she came to a small bench, a few feet off from the path, visible only from the small footpath through the grass. She followed it and sat down, taking in a deep, almost heady, breath, 

"I actually missed the smell of the earth." She murmured to herself. "And the smell of every thing about nature." She leaned back against the bench back, closing her eyes. 

The silence in the terrarium was soothing, with the faint rustle of leaves and the babbling of water from some nearby source. She could deal with being in Zaibach if she came to this small piece of- 

"Tara Leigh O'Malley! Where in the blazes are you!" 

Tara shot up, her mind hearing her father's voice again once more. But she simply sat back down again as she realized it was none other than Aresia's. With a small huff of dismissal, she closed her eyes and sank back against the bench. When Aresia found her a few minutes later, Tara could sense the rage curling off of her. 

"Is this where you have been hiding all this time, child!" Aresia said in a snappish tone. 

Tara shot her a look, an eyebrow arched. "Where I've been 'hiding'," Tara managed to pour as much contempt into the one word as she could. "Is none of your business." 

"It is when it comes to you and the twisted little psycho. You anger and intrigue him far too much for your own good." 

"Dilandau?" Tara gave a harsh scoffing laugh. "I highly doubt that he can do-" Tara trailed off as she looked around suddenly; there was someone else here, watching her, and it wasn't just Aresia. She didn't know why she didn't sense it before; she must have been too absorbed in the nature around her, controlled as it was. 

_'So, you finally sense it?'_

Tara glanced sharply at Aresia to see a strange mixture of anger and fear, two polar opposites. That couldn't have been Aresia just now; that would mean that she was in her head and- 

_'You had better believe it, if you want to live.'_ Aresia's voice held a tint of dryness. _'Didn't Dilandau say he would kill you?' _

'That pervert wouldn't dare!' Tara's outraged thought shot across her brain before she could even stop it. 

_'He would dare and much more if you are not careful. Now, rise slowly and walk towards me. That is when the assassin will make his move.'_

Tara didn't say anything but scowled at Aresia, realising something. _'How do I know that you aren't simply trying to draw me into a trap? You could have ulterior motives against me.' _

'For Heaven's sake child, do you think I would be this distraught and worked up if I, Gods forbid, intended to kill you, my own flesh and blood? I've even called Folken here; he coming as we speak.' 

'One never knows,' Tara couldn't stop the snarky thought from flitting across. _'But I suppose you do have a point.' _

'Then, please walk towards me. I don't even care if you make it look like you're going to hit me.' 

'Really?' Tara scowled even more, balling a hand into a fist. _'I can easily arrange that.'_

Tara ran towards Aresia with her fist coming in for a downward strike against her jaw. Aresia looked relieved as she moved forward now as well, grasping Tara's shoulder and pushing her to the right sharply as she saw something that Tara didn't. 

But then, Tara did something that even she herself didn't expect. Her foot found it's balance again and she shouldered Aresia out of the way. Aresia's eyes widened with shock and surprise. Tara gave a short huff as she started to turn her torso around. That was the precise moment that the small blades found their way to her shoulder and exposed right flank. The sharp edges cut through the material of her dress and bit down into the skin. 

Her shoulder was peppered with them, and glancing slashes filled her side. She fell onto the ground heavily, driving the blades in her shoulder further. She twisted onto her other side, biting her lip so hard that it broke and blood ran free. That was when she heard the 'thunk' of a body falling from a tree. 

"Suicide," Aresia said in a mild tone of disgust before she turned her attention to Tara. "You foolish child! What in Gods name where you thinking! You could have been killed. They were aiming for your throat! Your throat!" 

"I save your life and you still yell at me," Tara gave a sharp cough. "Even I don't know why the hell I did that." 

"You," Aresia's eyes pooled with tears as she started to rip off strips from her dress. "You foolish, foolish child! Don't you ever do anything like this again! Do I make myself understood?! Gods, it should have been me, it should have been me." 

"Aresia," Tara said in a slow voice. "I want to see your wings." 

"My wings?!" Aresia seemed completely shocked by that. 

"Your wings. Father said my mother had the blackest wings, like midnight taken from the sky itself." Tara paused as she beat back the pain. "I want to see your wings." 

Aresia spread them immediately, a few jet-black feathers floating down around them. Tara blinked when she saw them, a few sparse tears coming to her eyes as well. 

"He was right," Tara murmured. "He was right." 

"Dear Gods Tara, hold on. We'll get you fixed up; don't worry. I wasn't there before, but I will be here now, whether you want me to be or not." Aresia said as started to bandage up the slashes along Kayla flank. 

By this time, Kayla was already drifting away on the pain, murmuring softly to herself as her eyes fluttered close. "Like midnight taken from the sky itself…like midnight…" 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


End file.
